


Highkyuu!!

by pastavodkatomatoes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (loosely) Based off True Events, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bisexual Male Character, Drug Use, Gen, M/M, Marijuana, Recreational Drug Use, Seattle AU, i mean it's a vaguely seattle au, past relationships (mentioned), stoner au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 21:50:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8030083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastavodkatomatoes/pseuds/pastavodkatomatoes
Summary: Kageyama ungracefully shoved his own brownie into his mouth. It was good, warm and chocolatey, but there was also strange taste that he was entirely unfamiliar with. It wasn’t bad, exactly, just…weird.A tiny voice in the back of Kageyama’s head whispered: Oh my god, I just ate weed.+++The story of how two roommates became stoners and fell in like with each other.AKA the stoner AU nobody asked for.





	1. The Brownie Incident

**Author's Note:**

> This all started when one of my friends pointed to Kenma and said "I found the stoner character." It quickly spiraled out of control after that.
> 
> I'm almost always high when writing these chapters. Forgive me.

Kageyama’s fingers twitched at his sides as he stood awkwardly in the kitchen. At the counter, Akaashi was cutting a sheet of fresh brownies into little squares, placing a couple on two separate plates and setting the rest aside. “Believe me when I say that this is all you’ll need,” he warned as he turned around, handing Kageyama and Hinata each a plate.

Hinata nodded with determination, which spurred Kageyama to nod with more determination. They heard a snort from the living room, followed by Kuroo’s voice calling out, “It’s a good thing you two aren’t smoking, or you’d try to out-do each other and then get _fucked up_.”

Kageyama resisted the urge to glare over his shoulder and instead blinked at the plate in his hands. He didn’t even know _why_ he was here—alright, yes he did, because Kenma had invited Hinata, and Hinata had asked Kageyama if he wanted to tag along, and Kageyama _couldn’t_ say no even if he wanted to, and he didn’t actually _want_ to decline the offer—

He was thinking too much, because Hinata had already eaten his brownie and was praising Akaashi for his baking skills and generosity. Kageyama ungracefully shoved his own brownie into his mouth. It _was_ good, warm and chocolatey, but there was also strange taste that he was entirely unfamiliar with. It wasn’t bad, exactly, just… _weird._

A tiny voice in the back of Kageyama’s head whispered: _Oh my god, I just ate weed._

Akaashi must have seen the sudden panic in Kageyama’s eyes, because the older boy then added, “You’re going to be _fine_. Just be patient with what I gave you.”

“How long does it take to eat?” Bokuto shouted from the living room. “We already have Kenma packed and everything!”

Kageyama didn’t even know how to react to that, other than to blink in confusion as Hinata raced towards the living room, Akaashi calmly trailing after him. Kageyama set his plate down next to some “artistic” vase, wondered when his life got so _weird_ and then followed the others. Kuroo and Bokuto were seated around the coffee table, showing off a yellow and red glass pipe to a wide-eyed Hinata.

“—the light of my life, which is why I call it Kenma,” Kuroo finished, brimming with pride. 

The pipe’s namesake groaned quietly from his position on the couch, eyes not leaving his PSP. “You’re so embarrassing,” Kenma muttered.

“How is that embarrassing? Your piece is named Zelda!”

“That’s because she’s Legend of Zelda themed.”

Bokuto slammed his hands down on the coffee table, but not hard enough to knock anything over. “Are we doing this or what?!”

+++

An hour later, Kageyama was pretty sure that he still wasn’t high.

The six of them were all comfortably sprawled around the TV, watching a movie that Bokuto thought was _way_ funnier than it actually was. He and Akaashi were curled up on a massive owl print beanbag, while Kuroo had unceremoniously draped himself across Kenma on the couch and rambled on occasion. The glass pipe passed between the four of them from time to time, filling the air with an earthy yet slightly sweet smoke. Earlier, when Hinata kept asking when he could try to smoke too, Akaashi had only smiled lazily and told him to be patient. Hinata reluctantly stopped asking after that, and instead spread across the floor to watch the movie and chat with Kenma or Bokuto.

Kageyama had been patient, or he had tried to be, and he still felt _nothing_. Or at least he was pretty sure that he felt nothing. He had been breathing in a lot of the smoke just due to proximity... What if he _was_ high but had no idea? No, he would notice if something changed about him. The others were obviously stoned; Akaashi’s lazy smile hadn’t left his face since his second hit, and Kuroo was all but melted into the couch cushions. Kageyama still felt pretty normal. Maybe the brownies were just taking a really long time? He untucked his legs from their crisscross position and used one foot to poke Hinata in the leg.

“Hey, dumbass,” he whispered, hopefully just quiet enough for only the redhead to hear. Hinata glanced over his shoulder with a questioning look. “Do you…feel anything?”

“I don’t think so?” The hesitant lilt in Hinata’s voice was a beacon of reassurance, truly. “I mean, I feel kinda hungry.”

“How is that different from any other time?”

“You know what would make this _really_ great?” The room grew quiet as all eyes turned towards Kenma, sliding his hands out from under Kuroo’s head. He looked at each of them with reddened eyes, gestured slowly and vaguely with his hands, and stage whispered with an almost reverence, “If we had a _bong_.”

Almost instantly, Bokuto squirmed off of the beanbag, toppling Akaashi onto the floor with an excited “I’ve got this!” and speed-walked into the kitchen. Akaashi sighed heavily, but nonetheless sat up and began grinding up some more weed.

“Will someone do me a favor and make sure he doesn’t break something?” There was a beat of silence as Kuroo and Kenma tried to melt further into the couch, obviously not wanting to get up from their far too comfortable position.

“We’ll go!” Hinata volunteered, already on his feet and tugging Kageyama by the sleeve. He followed willingly, partially out of curiosity for what Bokuto was up to, but mostly because he knew that Hinata wouldn’t stop tugging until he followed.

They arrived to the kitchen just in time to watch Bokuto dump some purple flowers into the sink and rinse out the vase. Oh, it was that weird-looking vase from earlier. Actually, without the flowers, it kind of looked like…

Kageyama wanted to slap himself. They had disguised their bong as a flower vase.

Bokuto hurried back into the living room, his cackles almost drowning out the sound of Akaashi saying, “I _just_ put flowers in that, Bokuto.” Kageyama began to follow him, ready to return to the living room and…just keep waiting to get high, he supposed.

“Kageyama.”

Hinata’s voice made him pause and turn around. His back was facing the dark-haired boy, but when Kageyama approached, he could see that Hinata was staring at the pile of brownies left on the kitchen counter.

“You said that you weren’t feeling anything yet, right?”

“Akaashi-san said that we needed to be patie—” Kageyama was unable to finish his sentence, because Hinata had already gobbled down a much bigger chunk of brownie. “What the hell is wrong with you!”

“But they’re so _good_ , Kageyama!” the shorter boy replied through a mouthful of chocolate. “Like POW! I don’t know why they taste so perfect.”

Kageyama scowled, but still reached for a brownie square, paused, decided that he didn’t want to be one-upped by Hinata, and then grabbed two and shoved them into his mouth. His eyes widened for a moment, because holy shit he was pretty sure he wasn’t high, but somehow the brownies were _exactly_ what he needed to eat in this moment. And to be fair, it had been over an hour by now, and the squares that Akaashi had given them earlier had been rather small.

+++

Five minutes later, the brownies were gone.

Kageyama and Hinata returned to the slightly clouded living room, hanging their heads with shame. When they explained what they had done, Kuroo and Bokuto burst into a fit of hysterical giggles. Akaashi hadn’t even been angry, only shrugging once before hitting the bong.

After a while, Kuroo and Akaashi actually left the apartment to get something non-weed-related to eat, seeing as they were apparently the most responsible while high. Bokuto put in another movie as Kenma scooted over on the couch, making room for the two idiots to get comfortable.

For a while, everything still felt normal. Then thirty minutes into the movie, Kageyama felt like he slammed face-first into a brick wall.

The next thing he knew, the four actual stoners were all sitting together on the floor, sharing the remains of their take-out. Kageyama blinked slowly at his hand, which for some reason was still holding a pair of chopsticks even though he was sitting on the bean bag. He glanced over towards the couch, where Hinata was lying spread eagle with his mouth wide open, staring at the ceiling.

“Oh my god,” Kageyama said, his voice sounding like it was in slow motion. “We could _die_.”

There was a pause in the room as everyone stopped talking and stared at him. Kuroo’s ridiculous laugh pierced through the light smoke in the room, and even though Kageyama’s head felt like it weighed a million pounds, he still turned it to face the older boy’s wide grin. “Dude, you won't die, but you guys got _fucked up_.”

Kageyama didn’t have anything to say in response to that, so he just put his chopsticks on his stomach and let himself literally melt into the bean bag.


	2. The Stoner Initiation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I already wrote these first 3 chapters WEEKS AND WEEKS ago, so I'll be uploading them gradually as I work on chapter 4.
> 
> Also: WOW! Thank you guys for such a positive response so far, especially considering that this is 99.9% self-indulgent and memey. I hope you enjoy the rest of KageHina's high adventures.

For the next couple of days, Kageyama avoided talking about what would later become known as the first brownie incident. He tried to return to his regular life, or at least as regular as you could get after _eating weed_ with your roommate.

Kageyama still couldn’t believe it. He had _done drugs_ , and everything had gone…fine, actually. He and Hinata didn’t die, although they did end up staying the night at Bokuto and Akaashi’s place, and were still pretty stoned for most of the next day. If lying immobile on a bean bag for several hours was the worst thing to happen to him, then maybe it wasn't so bad. Although he doubted that Akaashi would ever let them within a mile of his brownies again.

But now it was Tuesday, and Kageyama was absolutely certain that he was sober by now. More importantly, they were out of milk and bread _again_ , and it was his turn to pick some up. 

“Hey, dumbass,” the dark-haired boy called down the hallway, wallet in hand as he prepared to leave the apartment. “I'm going to the corner store. Do you want me to grab anything?”

From the kitchen came the familiar sound of Hinata’s head banging against the inside of their mini-fridge, followed by a yelp of pain and something clattering to the floor. “Uh… One second!”

Of course.

Kageyama just rolled his eyes and waited as patiently as he could by the door, which would be about twelve seconds before he’d give up and leave. Unfortunately, Hinata only took ten seconds to clean up whatever the hell he dropped this time before he poked his head into the hallway.

“Can you grab me a pork bun?” the shorter boy asked to the surprise of absolutely no one.

Kageyama nodded absently as he slipped on his shoes. “Is that it? I'm not going back out again tonight.”

There was a brief silence, which was _weird_ , because in the entire time he's known Hinata, Kageyama would never have described him as quiet. “...Actually, can you get me a lighter too?”

That gave him pause, and Kageyama looked up from his shoes in mild confusion. “Don't tell me that the kitchen one is already out.”

“No, I don’t need that kind! It's just, um…” Hinata turned his gaze to the phone in his hand, the other scratching at his nose. “Okay so, I'm texting Kenma, and he was saying that one of these days we could go over and smoke, since I guess smoking gives you more control than edibles, so we won't go overboard this time!” He looked up at Kageyama, although somewhat nervously, and the hand scratching his nose moved into that mess of ginger hair. “Anyway, I said I wanted to try it, and you’re free to come too but you totally don’t have to, that’s cool too! But uh…yeah, I thought I might need a lighter of my own. To bring to Kenma’s.” At this he grinned, and Kageyama’s brow only furrowed further.

“You’re going to smoke weed with Kenma?”

“…Yes?” Hinata’s smile faltered and he watched the other carefully, wary of his reaction. The inspection made Kageyama feel awkward as he shrugged into his coat. “I mean, Kuroo is going to be there too.”

_Obviously._

Kageyama paused, hand on the doorknob, still delaying his departure for some reason. He must have been quiet for a little too long, because Hinata quickly added, “You _can_ come, but you don’t _have_ to! No pressure!”

“Idiot. Of course I’ll come,” he snorted as he finally opened the door, because he couldn’t and didn’t want to say no. “Someone has to make sure you don’t do something stupid and get into trouble.” He shut the door harshly behind him, not seeing the way that Hinata pumped a fist in victory before returning his attention to his phone.

+++

Kenma’s apartment smelled like vanilla incense, comforting nerves that Kageyama didn’t realize he still had. Kuroo had made a joke about how tense he had looked when they first arrived that evening, but promised that by the end of the night all of Kageyama’s tension would disappear. Kageyama was skeptical, but then again they hadn’t even started smoking yet. Hinata was too busy admiring the piece they would be using. It was a translucent, green glass hand pipe with a golden triforce etched on each side. Kenma affectionately referred to it as “Zelda.” 

Kageyama couldn’t believe that he was hanging out with a bunch of stoner _nerds_. To be fair, he had no one to blame for himself for agreeing to this in the first place.

“Alright, alright,” Kuroo finally jumped in. “I know she’s pretty, but she’s useless if you don’t know what you’re doing. May I?” He extended a hand towards Kenma, who gently placed Zelda into the upturned palm. Kuroo grinned, presenting the pipe to the two younger boys as he explained how to smoke without completely destroying their lungs. 

The more he listened, the more relief Kageyama felt. It seemed easy enough now that he had some idea of what to do. He glanced sideways towards Hinata, whose full attention was on the weed as Kuroo’s nimble fingers showed them how to pack a bowl. The redhead bounced slightly from his kneeled position with barely contained excitement. His apparent confidence further reassured Kageyama. If Hinata could handle this, then why couldn’t he?

+++

Hinata was going to _die._

Hinata was going to die and they were going to get caught with weed and oh god, how was Kageyama going to pay rent if his roommate was dead?!

Unaware of these worries, said dying boy merely continued his coughing fit. Kenma, already having taken his hit, gently patted the younger’s back. “I said not to light that much yet, Shouyou,” he admonished quietly. “…Do you want some water?” Hinata nodded through the burn in his lungs, wisps of off-white smoke sputtering out his mouth and nose, and Kenma rose to head to the kitchenette.

Kuroo stretched across the coffee table they had gathered around, smirking with pure and still-sober amusement. “Congrats on your first hit, Shrimp,” he praised, offering up a hand in a high five. Hinata had moved from doubled-over hacking to stifled, closed-mouth coughing, and responded to the high five with as much gusto as he could. Kuroo then turned to Kageyama and added, “Make sure you don’t do _that_.”

Kageyama nodded hesitantly, glancing between Kuroo, Hinata, and Zelda. He could do this, right? Just take it slow and don’t rush, just like how Hinata’s friends had explained and how Hinata had ignored. It would be…fine.

“Kageyama.”

He looked up from the pipe still cradled in his hands to see Hinata’s intense expression. His eyes were red-rimmed and teary but wide, and he whispered with a touch of reverence, “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but _**whoa.**_ It’s like…it feels like…” He ran his fingers through his hair before throwing them in the air. “It feels like I’m flying!”

Kageyama ignored the sound of Kuroo’s snort-cackling and turned his attention back to Zelda. Half of the bowl was burnt black, but the other half was green and fragrant. The smell of smoke mingled with the vanilla incense in the air. In his peripheral, he noticed that Kenma had returned with a couple glasses of water, and somehow that eased his nerves. At least there was something to drink if he did end up burning his throat.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, and then hit the pipe.

Okay, wow, his throat _was_ burning, but not enough to induce a coughing fit. He took his thumb off the carb and slowly sucked in the rest of the smoke before pulling away, just like how they had been instructed. 

He held his breath for a few seconds, tears welling in the corners of his eyes as he struggled to suppress a cough. He finally breathed out a faint cloud of smoke, only spluttering once about halfway through the exhale. Unfortunately, upon gulping for oxygen, Kageyama learned that holy _shit_ his throat hurt a lot more than he thought. He scrambled for one of the glasses on the coffee table, gulping down the water to ease the burn. 

He didn’t…feel any different. Perhaps a little lightheaded, but that could also be from the brief lack of oxygen. He set his now emptied glass back down and turned to the others to announce that he still didn’t feel anything. Was something wrong with him?

The first face he saw was Hinata’s, bright and expectant to the point where he practically had stars in his eyes. … _Did_ he have stars in his eyes? Had Kageyama known him for this long without noticing? The dark-haired boy blinked once, slow and heavy, before dragging his own gaze up towards the ceiling.

Holy shit, was this flying? Soaring, right above the tree line, diving down and running, zigzagging, jumping, but still sitting in the living room. Kuroo laughed from what felt like far away, took the pipe, another puff of smoke in the air as Kageyama flexed and un-flexed his fingers. Man, sports had given him so many callouses on his fingertips during high school, practicing set after set after set. Unfolded his legs and stretched them into the space where Kuroo had once been. He felt like jumping, higher, higher, flying, at the same time didn’t want to move from his spot. To his right, Kenma once again showing Hinata how to properly hit from Zelda, pudding head and…and…carrot top? No, his hair looked more like orange sherbet, or orange whipped cream, or something else sweet but also something orange—

“Ah, man…” Kageyama scrubbed his hands over his face. This grabbed the attention of the other three; Hinata even froze in the middle of passing the pipe towards him. “I think I’m high.”

A beat of silence, followed by Kenma’s voice: “How do you feel?”

Kageyama slowly gave a thumbs up, accepted Zelda from his grinning roommate, and took another hit.


	3. Dog Park Smoking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for any and all support for this wild ride. The last time I uploaded fanfiction online, it was for Hetalia on deviantart in like 2010, so this is a whole new experience for me. I hope you enjoy this story as it continues!

This shouldn’t even be a big deal. Or was it? He wasn’t exactly familiar with the protocol surrounding casual drug use. Would it be super weird if he asked Hinata out of the blue, “Hey, I kind of want to smoke more weed sometime?” Would Hinata be up for it? Where would they even _get_ more weed? Did Kenma or Kuroo know any drug dealers? (A stupid question—of course they knew drug dealers.)

These questions jostled around in Kageyama’s head as he scowled at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. There were plenty of things already deserving of his anxiety; this was not going to be one of them. He was going to be chill about this. He could easily make it seem as though he didn’t care whether or not they smoked weed again, even though he kind of sort of _really_ wanted to try again. No, he’d be super calm. Super casual.

The front door slamming open didn’t catch Kageyama’s attention, but the sound of Hinata’s bike banging against the walls and furniture did. “This’ll be fine,” he muttered to his reflection and forced himself to look relaxed. Before he could lose his nerve, he quickly opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out.

Unfortunately, Hinata was already in the middle of finagling his bike through the narrow hallway. The front wheel rolled over Kageyama’s foot as the door slammed into Hinata’s shoulder, causing Kageyama to already rethink this entire decision.

“OW! Oh, sorry! I thought you were in your room—” Hinata scrambled backwards, which just caused the bike wheel to roll over the taller boy’s foot again. “Sorry!”

“It’s fine, it’s—” Kageyama grit his teeth, only half-swallowing a groan of pain. _Casual_ , he reminded himself. “I was just…you know…” He shrugged and gestured behind him, trying to ignore the pain in his foot. “…Bathroom stuff.”

Great start.

“Um, I figured?” Hinata replied, unsure how to respond as he shot the other a confused look. A beat of awkward silence passed between the two as Kageyama considered locking himself in the bathroom again. “…Can I scoot past you?”

Mentally cursing himself, Kageyama sidestepped between the bathroom door and the bike, escaping the crowded hallway to make some room. Hinata tried to quickly squeeze into his bedroom, and the both of them winced as a bike pedal scraped against the wall. Oh well; they had long since resigned themselves to the fact that there were never going to get their rent deposit back.

“So…” Kageyama began weakly, trailing after the redhead but not actually entering the other’s room. He leaned against the doorframe as he tried to look like he wasn’t low-key freaking out. “Have you spoken to Kenma recently?”

“Yeah!” Hinata didn’t even look over his shoulder as he spoke, too preoccupied with hanging his bike on the wall mount. “We talk almost every day.”

Which Kageyama already knew; he was just an idiot who didn’t know how else to bring Hinata’s main stoner friend into the conversation. “Cool, cool. Is he…doing good?”

This was a mess. He knew it was a mess because even a dumbass like Hinata could tell that something was off. After making sure that his bike was secure, he turned around and gave Kageyama the same confused look as before. “Yeah…? Okay, is something wrong? You’re acting really weird.”

A prickle of irritation ran down Kageyama’s spine as he defensively snapped back, “Can’t I just ask how your friend is doing? I wanted to be polite after he hosted us is all. Jeez.” He crossed his arms with a slight huff, avoiding his roommate’s gaze and instead focusing on the dog-themed calendar on the wall. Apparently the breed for March was corgis. Their adorable little faces peered back innocently as the seconds awkwardly ticked by.

“Kageyama…is this about the weed?”

The sheer _concern_ in the whispered voice was enough to pull Kageyama out of his pouting. When his attention snapped back to Hinata’s face, it was almost startling to see confusion and worry so evident in those freakishly big eyes. “Did you not have fun last time? Did you hate it?! Oh man, did you have a bad trip? Kenma told me about this one really bad trip he had, except he was at laser tag, but—”

“Hey, it’s nothing like that, calm down!” Kageyama smacked a palm over his eyes in exasperation. “It’s not like I…hated it,” he began hesitantly, scowling at the bike while he chose his words. “I actually had a lot of fun.”

Hinata’s face instantly lit up like it was Christmas, any previous worries seemingly swept away. “So do you wanna smoke more weed sometime?!”

Wow. Twenty minutes spent in the bathroom practicing what he would say ended up being for nothing. Somehow, Kageyama couldn’t even find it in him to be mad about the wasted time. “...Yeah. I’d be up for it.”

Hinata’s smile grew impossibly wider as turned towards his desk, rummaging through the drawers until he slowly pulled out what looked like a fat cigarette. “Last time we were over, Kuroo gave me this joint. It’s basically a weed ciga—”

“I know what a joint is, dumbass,” he half-lied. 

The shorter boy seemed unfazed by the interruption, practically bouncing on his heels with barely contained excitement. “Great! I’ve been saving it for this exact moment.”

Oddly enough, that moved a small part of Kageyama. Sure, they were roommates and he guessed they were friends too, but the fact that Hinata had wanted to wait for Kageyama before getting high again was…touching? He was probably reading too much into it. Hinata was a friendly person anyway. “We can’t smoke it in here; what if the whole floor starting smelling like weed?”

“We can go to the park!”

“At…” He fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket. “Almost ten o’clock at night?” That was way later than he thought. Hinata really needed to learn how to drive, or to work someplace closer.

“Exactly! Nobody will be there—we’ll have the park to ourselves. Come on, Kageyama!” Hinata took a step forward, offering the joint with a sunny grin. “Live a little! YOLO it up!”

The dark-haired boy groaned and rubbed his left temple, his other hand cautiously accepting the joint. “On the condition that you never say ‘YOLO it up’ again.”

“Deal!”

+++

Three blocks away from their apartment complex was a small, woodsy dog park that technically closed at 8:30 p.m. every night. There weren’t any actual locks on the gates, so nothing stopped the occasional visit from a late-night dog walker or group of drunk teenagers. Or a pair of hooligans looking to get high for the third time in their lives.

Kageyama and Hinata both huddled together on a bench, constantly checking their dark surroundings while they handled the joint as though it were made of glass. Their voices were hushed and hurried despite the fact that the park was completely empty at this hour.

“Kuroo said to just smoke it like a cigarette. At least that’s what I remember him saying.”

“Do you even know how to smoke a cigarette?”

“…Not really, but how hard can it be?”

“Dumbass. Give me that thing.”

“You’re the dumbass! Do YOU know how to smoke cigarettes?!”

“No, but last time you set half the weed on fire during your first hit, and _I didn’t_.”

Even in the darkness, Hinata’s face was close enough that Kageyama could see his glare, unable to argue with that logic but unwilling to relent. Kageyama resisted the urge to roll his eyes at this childishness, but then again he could be pretty stubborn too. “Look, I’m pretty sure I can do this. Just trust me; I promise you’ll still get a good hit.”

Although it took a few moments, Hinata’s glare eventually softened with the acceptance of defeat, and he relinquished both the joint and the lighter. “Don’t cough.”

Kageyama really did roll his eyes at that, but otherwise tried to focus as he held the joint between his lips. There was a tiny knot of uncertain anxiety in his stomach, but he shoved it aside as quickly as he could. After all, now he had something to prove and couldn’t afford to completely screw up this whole pot smoking ritual. He took a deep breath through his nostrils, carefully brought the lighter’s flame up to the end of the joint, and gently sucked in some air.

For a brief moment, he wondered if he was even breathing in any marijuana smoke. That worry was quickly assuaged when the back of his throat _burned_. He quickly pulled the joint away and handed it over to Hinata, who was watching him intently with wide eyes. Kageyama’s own eyes watered as he tried to stifle a cough, choosing to hold his breath and suffer through the growing burn in his throat and chest rather than show weakness by coughi—

The dark-haired boy doubled over on the bench, head between his knees as he choked out large puffs of diesel-flavored smoke. A fist thumped unhelpfully against his back and a panicked voice whisper-screamed next to him. Probably Hinata’s. The idiot was going to let the joint burn down if he didn’t do something. “T-take a hit,” Kageyama wheezed, absently waving one hand to show that he was fine even though he was probably dying. 

Kageyama kept his head down while he waited for Hinata to take his hit, sniffling quietly as he blinked through both his tears and the dissipating smoke causing the tears. This was so embarrassing. Although it was only Hinata present, somehow that only worsened his self-consciousness. Of _course_ he would hack up a lung the one time Hinata warned him not to cough. Kageyama scrubbed at his face, trying to erase any evidence that the smoke had made him cry, and looked over to the boy sitting next to him.

The little stream of smoke that Hinata exhaled was not as big or dense as his had been, but he was still smiling through close-mouthed coughs. He didn’t seem to be dying, and based on the faint orange glow at the end of the joint, the weed was still lit. That was good, right? “I hate to say it, but you were right,” Hinata said, hyper-careful as he passed the joint. “That _was_ a good hit.”

A spark of satisfaction hit Kageyama at knowing that his promise had been kept. “I told you it would be,” he replied casually, clearing his throat when his voice rasped. He took the joint from Hinata and glanced between the both of them. “So do I just...hit it again?”

“I guess so?”

With a shrug, Kageyama took a much less forceful drag this time, pleased with how his eyes only watered slightly. The smoke still burned when he breathed in, but it wasn’t overly painful. And it wasn’t even an unpleasant burn, just strange. Everything—from the smell of the dissipating weed clouds to the smoky yet earthy aftertaste on his tongue—was just strange. 

He passed the joint to Hinata, who had pulled up his feet to sit cross-legged on the bench.

Strange, but not bad. Smoking weed was strange because it was new and unfamiliar. He could get used to it with a little time and practice. He actually _wanted_ to get more used to it, which would mean smoking weed more weed at another time. Kageyama was just fine with that.

Hinata passed the joint back. He suddenly realized what “puff-puff-pass” actually meant after all this time. 

+++

They sat on the bench more or less quietly for a while, smoking the joint between the two of them. Kageyama wasn’t aware of how much time passed, probably years, but eventually the joint burned down until it singed his fingertips. For some reason he didn’t really mind that much; his fingertips had felt chilly from the late winter air anyway. 

He slowly turned his head to look at Hinata, but his entire body felt like it weighed a quintillion pounds so he ended up looking at Hinata’s lap instead. The redhead’s hands rested on his thighs, still gesticulating as spoke. Kageyama wasn’t entirely sure what he was rambling about this time—he was too busy wondering if Hinata’s hands also felt cold. Maybe he should ask. It would be tragic if Hinata’s fingers froze and fell off, of course.

“I just think it’s weird how we KNOW they’re green, but they LOOK blac—oh my god, fuck, Kageyama.” One of those hands grabbed at the other boy’s arm while his voice dropped to a whisper. “There’s a _super_ weird dude over there.”

The light layer of comfort surrounding Kageyama’s chest immediately turned into a dark pebble of fear. Hinata’s hushed voice sounded like he was _freaking out_ and Kageyama was just a few moments away from joining him. “Why did somebody show up at this time of night?!” he replied as quietly as he could manage, continuing to stare at Hinata’s hand on his forearm. There was _no way_ he was going to look up at the creepy dude.

“Well, we _have_ been sitting here for twenty years.” Hinata, though quiet, spoke so matter-of-factly that Kageyama was inclined to agree. Twenty years was indeed a long time.

“Do you think he knows if we’re high?”

“What if he’s a serial killer?!”

Kageyama finally managed to lift his head to look at the other’s face. Hinata’s eyes squinted back at him, while his open mouth was turned down into an almost comical frown. Even in the darkness, Hinata looked baked as _shit_.

“What if…” Through the surreal fear and the high haziness in his mind, Kageyama managed to lift his hand and rest it on Hinata’s shoulder as they stared at each other. “What if he’s a serial killer AND he knows we’re high, so he’s going to kill us because we’re easy to kill? BECAUSE we’re high?!”

Hinata’s eyes widened with absolute terror, but his lips quirked up into a smile as he erupted into giggles. Panicked giggles, but still. “…Is he still there?”

Kageyama peered through the dark trees in front of them. A short distance away was the silhouette of a MASSIVE person, walking along the path and probably carrying a bloody axe. He squinted harder, focusing solely on the axe murderer coming their way, when he realized: “Holy shit, he has a werewolf on a leash!”

“What the _fuck?!_ ” Hinata’s voice squeaked uncomfortably, torn between screaming and whispering. Sure enough, in the distance was a large, canine shadow lumbering by the axe murderer’s side. The darkness obscured most of its details, but it was almost definitely a werewolf on all fours.

Then Kageyama started freaking the fuck out. “I’m too high for this, we’re running away!” he whisper-screamed back, yanking Hinata to his feet as they started speed-walking away from the bench.

“We’re so dumb, we’re soooo stupid,” Hinata whispered repeatedly as they made their grand escape.

“Shut up, shut the fuck up, he’s gonna hear you!”

“You’re being louder than me!” 

Something barked far behind them. They each tore into a sprint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, they weren't straight up hallucinating; it's just dark and they're stoned idiots.
> 
> Up next is the 4/20 party, with exposition and new characters galore. I'm still working on it, but hopefully it should be done within the week? Stay tuned for more?!?!


	4. The 420 Party: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after much deliberation and the fact that the 420 chapter became way longer than I expected, this "story arc" is going to be split into three separate chapters. The first two are already written (part 2 will be posted soon!) and I'll try to bust out the final part soon. (no promises on how soon lol)
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading!

Kageyama hadn’t met very many drug dealers in his life. In fact, he couldn’t recall meeting _any_. Unless he counted Kenma or Kuroo, which he didn’t, since they had explained that smoking their friends out wasn’t nearly the same as dealing. He didn’t know what a drug dealer was _supposed_ to look like, but he had always guessed they would be someone in dark clothing and a nondescript van.

He definitely hadn’t expected the pastel blue Toyota parked outside their apartment building, loud trap music blasting out the open windows. In the passenger side sat a boy with faded pink hair and a pineapple t-shirt, waving towards them as Hinata and Kageyama exited their building. “Are you guys Akaashi’s friends?” he yelled over the music.

“That’s us!” Hinata shouted cheerfully in response as he ran over. The driver must have turned down the radio, because the music died down to a murmur by the time Kageyama followed Hinata to the curbside.

“You must be Hanamaki and Matsukawa,” he said, glancing between Akaashi’s drug dealer and the curly-haired driver, who leaned over and waved slightly. “Thank you for driving us.”

“It’s no problem. We’re on the way to Akaashi and Bokuto’s anyway.” Matsukawa shrugged before turning the engine back on. “But we should probably get going if we wanna beat traffic.”

For the first few minutes after Hinata and Kageyama scrambled into the backseat and they began driving off, the only sound was the music playing in the background. Hanamaki quietly spoke to Matsukawa as he scrolled through his phone, but Kageyama couldn’t eavesdrop successfully over the stereo. Instead he glanced sideways towards the redhead sitting beside him. Hinata’s fingers drummed on his knee in time with the beat as he watched their surroundings fly past the window.

Secretly, Kageyama was relieved that Hinata was also going to the party. He was comfortable enough with smoking weed by now—Bokuto probably wouldn’t have invited him if the older boy wasn’t confident in Kageyama’s ability to take a hit. It was the actual high that he was still getting used to, and having his roommate there would bring familiarity. Hinata’s presence was a... comfort, for lack of a better term.

Not like Kageyama would ever tell him that, because it was already weird enough.

The song changed and Hanamaki set his phone down before turning in his seat. “So, are you guys bringing any of your pieces?”

Hinata and Kageyama glanced at each other before blinking in mute confusion. “We don’t...have any weed,” the dark-haired boy began hesitantly. Were they supposed to bring weed? Nobody had mentioned that.

Hanamaki gave them a look as if to say ‘oh you sweet, inexperienced little stoners’ before snickering. “Nah, I’m talking about any pipes or bongs you might have.”

“Oh! Yeah, we don’t have any of those either,” Hinata replied. “This is our first 420 party.”

“Wow, first one ever? You _are_ fresh new stoners.” Hanamaki grinned and began rifling around in the front seat. “If you’re looking to get a piece, you should check out Matsu’s Etsy shop. Babe, where’re the cards?”

“Glove compartment, I think. Are you really advertis—”

“It’s pretty cool. All the pieces are hand blown, so each one’s unique.” A moment passed before Hanamaki reached behind the seat to hand off a business card. It was a glossy mint green, with the words “VolleyToke Glass Goods” printed in whimsical bubble letters. “If you guys didn't want to pay for shipping, we could probably figure something else out since you live nearby.”

“Whoa, these are so cool! Look at this one!” Hinata elbowed Kageyama in the side, shoving his phone into the other's line of sight. Kageyama swatted away the flailing limbs as he accepted the device. Hinata had opened the Etsy app to VolleyToke’s page and excitedly pointed at different pipes.

“You _made_ all of these?” Kageyama asked, genuinely impressed as he scrolled through the page. Most of the pieces were complex, with twisting stems and multiple chambers and brightly colored glass. He wasn't even sure how to possibly smoke out of some of them.

Matsukawa shrugged from behind the wheel. “It's just a hobby. I actually work at a factory, but I learned glassblowing a few years ago and liked it a lot. If a piece turns out good enough, then I try to sell it. Makki basically runs the shop.”

“Least I could do! I mean you _do_ drive me everywhere.” Hanamaki turned around in the passenger seat again, resting his chin on the headrest as he looked at the two younger boys. “What d’you two do?”

Hinata practically beamed. Predictable whenever someone asked about his job. “I work at a pet supply! You know Central Pawk?”

“Oh yeah, we've seen it around. Which store do you work at?”

“Practically all of them,” Kageyama interjected.

“I can't help it if we're short-staffed!” Hinata defended with a huff. Kageyama merely rolled his eyes—this was an old conversation for the two of them. He still believed that Hinata’s workplace was taking advantage of the redhead's eagerness to prove himself, even if said redhead insisted otherwise. “But yeah, I shuffle between most of the stores. But I don't mind it!!”

Hanamaki gave a faint hum of acknowledgement. “I’ve been there, buddy. If we ever see you in a store, we might stop in to say hey.”

“Definitely! Our apartment building doesn’t allow animals, so I really enjoy my job. Do you guys have any pets?”

“Uh huh. A hedgehog named Iwaizumi.”

“He’s adorable and I _love him_.”

Hanamaki rolled his eyes, but an affectionate smile still played on his lips. “Yeeeaaah, Matsu’s pretty fond of him. He pees on me a lot though.” He moved his gaze to rest on Kageyama and cocked his head slightly. “Anyway, what about you?”

“...What about me?” Kageyama began warily.

“Y’know, do you work, do you go to school?”

Hinata snickered next to him until Kageyama kicked him in the leg. “Ah. I’m front desk at a physical fitness gym. I want to be a personal trainer, so I’m using this job to get started in the industry.”

“No shit, huh?” Mastukawa quipped. Kageyama glanced up toward the rear view mirror, where he made brief eye contact with Matsukawa. The older boy’s eyelids drooped sleepily, and it made Kageyama wonder if he was tired, high (oh god, what if he was _high_ and _driving??_ ), or if it was just how his face looked. “I knew a guy in high school who ended up doing the exact same thing. He’s doing pretty well for himself. Even trained some real pros. Keep up at it; you’ll prob—”

“You missed the exit, babe.”

“Goddammit.”

Kageyama still felt oddly encouraged.

+++

They spent the rest of the car ride making small talk while Matsukawa tried to reroute them. Kageyama learned that Hanamaki had been dealing to Akaashi for almost two years now, and that he and Matsukawa had been “officially” dating for twice as long. He also learned that when Hanamaki wasn’t selling weed, he was making pastries at some high-end bakery. Apparently drug dealing was rarely a full-time job.

There were a good four minutes without talking when Matsukawa put the stereo on blast for one of his favorite songs. It took Kageyama about two-and-a-half minutes to realize that it was a remix of a cover of a Taylor Swift song.

Eventually, the four of them pulled up to Akaashi and Bokuto’s apartment with minimal incident. Matsukawa and Hanamaki lingered outside the car, hesitating near the trunk.

“Think we should bring the Grand King in now?”

“Hmm... Maybe we should wait until it gets darker. He’s pretty big.”

“Grand King?!” Hinata asked. Kageyama grabbed the back of his jacket to keep him from lunging towards the trunk out of curious excitement. “Who’s that? What does that mean??”

Matsukawa only gave him a sleepy-eyed smirk and replied with a mysterious, “You’ll see.”

“Come on.” Hanamaki was already halfway to the door. “Bokuto’ll flip out if we’re not ready before 4:20.”

As though magically summoned, the door slammed open to reveal Bokuto in all his Weed Party Hosting glory. He was in basketball shorts and Adidas sandals, knee-high weed print socks, and a Rastafarian sweatband. What really caught Kageyama’s eye was the rainbow owl on his t-shirt. A marijuana leaf replaced each of the owl’s eyes, and underneath the bird’s feet was the word YOLO in large holographic letters.

Bokuto looked out at them with open arms and a wide grin. “Welcome to my twisted mind!”

From inside the apartment, Kageyama heard someone—probably Akaashi—groan, “Oh my GOD.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Every kudos and comment is greatly appreciated. Stay tuned for more!


	5. The 420 Party: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 3 for the 420 party is finally up! Thank you for all of your patience. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this random bullshit that my stoned brain comes up with.

Conversations between people Kageyama didn’t recognize drifted in from the living room, their words blending together with the Lady Gaga playing in the background. He didn’t pay too much attention to the noise, mind already fuzzied from the joint someone had passed around earlier. Instead, he watched as another blacked-haired boy ( _Ennoshita, or Chikara, what’s his name again?_ Kageyama wondered to himself) rolled joint after joint on the kitchen countertop. He rolled with precise, practiced motions, expression calm even as his fingers moved with quick deftness. Kageyama was practically entranced as the pile of weed on the counter diminished and the number of joints increased.

“Do you think five’s enough for now?” Ennoshita asked, twisting the end of a joint and setting it down. Kageyama hesitated for a moment. Were five joints considered far too little? It seemed like a _lot_ of weed to him. What was considered “enough” for a party?

“Hm… Maybe roll one more?” Oh, right. Akaashi was also in the kitchen, gathering snacks for the partygoers. Kageyama had completely forgotten about that. “Actually, it’s 4/20. Make it two more.”

Ennoshita laughed quietly before reaching for the grinder.

“Hey.” Akaashi set down a bowl of chips and turned to face Kageyama. The latter was a little startled by the unexpected attention, but still managed to lift his heavy head to look over at Akaashi. “I want to give you a heads up that we’re going to be smoking a lot of weed tonight. And I mean a lot of weed by _my_ standards. If at any point you feel like you need a break or you need to stop, just say something, that’s fine.” He gave a tiny smile as he added, “We want you to enjoy yourself, not feel completely fucked up.”

Kageyama dropped his gaze, recalling the brownie incident with residual shame. Instead he stared at the kitchen counters. Black granite countertops, of course. Akaashi and Bokuto always lived in nice apartments where they could get away with almost anything. It was one of the reasons why they were the ones who hosted parties—and that Bokuto loved to party.

Must be nice to be rich.

Kageyama _was_ enjoying himself, really. It wasn’t as though anyone was peer-pressuring him into doing drugs; he wanted to do these drugs of his own volition. And getting high was exciting and new and...and a little intimidating, maybe. There were all these stoner veterans, rolling joints and making bongs and selling weed. Meanwhile he was still trying to translate the slang. At least Hinata was also here, ensuring that Kageyama wasn’t alone in his inexperience.

“…Are you okay?” Akaashi asked when Kageyama didn’t say anything for a while.

Oh, right. Conversation. “Yeah...” He paused for a moment, wondering _am I okay?_ before looking up at Akaashi and nodding with conviction. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little high. ...But I could be higher.”

Ennoshita chuckled from behind him. “I like this guy.”

Akaashi cracked a half-smile before handing the chip bowl to Kageyama. “Then take this to the living room. The real party’s going to start soon.”

+++

The last time Kageyama had gone to a party with more than five other people, it had been for Halloween at a coworker’s house. Tanaka had ended up throwing a lawn chair into the neighbor’s pool, which pretty much summarized what kind of party it had been.

A stoner party was vastly different. It was so...quiet. That wasn’t even because of the party guests; a good number of them were surprisingly energetic (or perhaps not surprisingly, considering who one of the hosts was). Rather, it was because within five minutes of the first bowls being lit, all conversation more or less died off.

Hinata sat to Kageyama's right, effectively sandwiching the taller boy against the arm of the couch. Kageyama simply accepted his fate, leaning back into the cushions and allowing comfort to overtake him. A pleasant buzz danced over his skin, nerves both electric and relaxed as he squinted into the smoky living room. Most everyone had a smile on their face as they sat around the living room, waiting patiently for the flower vase bong or a joint to make its way to their spot in the smoke circle.

A nudge to his side notified Kageyama that it was his turn for a hit. Albeit a little sluggishly, he accepted the bong and lighter from Hinata, unfocused as he lit the blackened marijuana in the used bowl.

A burnt diesel taste immediately flooded his senses on the inhale. He spluttered out a cough that tasted even worse, setting the bong aside on the coffee table as his nose scrunched up in disgust. “That tasted like ass.”

“Probably because the bowl is kicked, genius.” Kenma didn’t look up from his grinder, already preparing to pack another bowl. “You just smoked ash.”

Hinata burst into a fit of giggles. “Hehe…ass-flavored ash…”

A trickle of giggles spread through the room, as other party guests found “ass-flavored ash” to be varying levels of hilarious. “Hey, at least you didn’t get Scooby snacks,” some brunette girl comforted, puffing out a ring of smoke as she passed the joint. “Those are the worst.”

Kageyama didn’t even want to know what a “Scooby snack” was.

Kenma handed over a newly packed pipe, opaque red glass contrasting with the fresh green weed waiting in the bowl. Kageyama actually had to take a moment to truly appreciate the beauty he had been gifted with. He almost didn’t want to light the flame that would inevitably mar the perfect green pile.

Almost. He was still at a 4/20 party for the purpose of smoking weed, after all. 

“Oh, hey, it’s 4:20!”

He didn’t know who made the announcement, but there was instantly a muted cheer of “Yeeeeaaaaaah!” throughout the living room. Yet another bowl was packed and added to the circle as a few people pulled out their phones to take pictures.

Kageyama took his hit and passed the pipe over to Ennoshita. The older boy had commandeered the owl beanbag, hoodie pulled tight around his face to only reveal his mouth, nose, and eyes. He gave Kageyama a thumbs up before lighting the bowl.

“Let’s take a selfie!” Hinata exclaimed, grabbing Kageyama’s forearm with one hand and pulling up Snapchat with the other.

“What…?” The dark-haired boy peered over at Hinata’s face. His roommate was sporting an ear-to-ear grin and heavy-lidded, red-rimmed eyes. Kageyama could only imagine what his own face looked like. “No way. We look super stoned.”

“But it’s 4:20 on 4/20! We’re _supposed_ to look super stoned. I won’t add it to my Snapchat Story or anything like that… Pleeeeaaaase?” Hinata looked up expectantly, somehow still managing to make puppy dog eyes even when they were half-closed.

Kageyama could easily say no—it wasn’t as though Hinata didn’t have other friends at this party that he could take the selfie with. Kageyama was just the closest in proximity.

But still…

Without so much as a sigh of defeat, Kageyama ducked his head to bring his face closer to Hinata’s. “Fine, but I have to approve it first.”

“Fair enough! …Hang on, my face got cut off in that one. One more!”

“…Wait, I closed my eyes. You gotta take another.”

“This’ll be the one! …Oh, it’s too blurry, hang on…”

It took them a few minutes to finally take an acceptable selfie. Hinata’s wide smile took up most of the phone screen and Kageyama’s last minute peace signs barely offset his stoic expression. Even behind the large white numbers of 4:23 PM, it was embarrassingly obvious that the two were high.

Kageyama hummed thoughtfully as he examined the image. Hinata looked happy as he did in all his selfies, but there was a subtle calm to his features that was normally absent, as though his boundless energy had decided to temporarily settle down. That calm seemed to spread to the dark-haired boy beside him. Kageyama was expressionless in the selfie; there was no smile, but no frown either. The fine lines and subtle shadows of his face, leftover evidence of scowls and stress, had vanished. He just looked…relaxed. They both did.

“Actually, can you send that one to me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my lovely friends for their continued support, encouragement, and occasional beta reading. And to everybody reading this story! Your kudos and comments are always appreciated, even if I never know what to say in response because I'm too shy. Believe me when I say that I'm thankful. <3
> 
> Stay tuned for the final part of the 420 party. Things are gonna start getting GAY. Or at least GAY-ER.


	6. The 420 Party: Final Part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it's been like a month; work and school like to kick my ass. I hope you enjoy this update as the 420 party comes to a close!

Time was a social construct. Birds didn’t have clocks or alarms, but they knew when to wake up and when to fly south for the winter. Flowers didn’t have calendars informing them of when to bloom and die, but they went through the same cycles every year. So why were humans so preoccupied with knowing every second, minute, hour of the day?

These thoughts raced at a molasses speed through Kageyama’s mind as his head lolled back to stare at the ceiling. _Time doesn’t exist—only clocks exist,_ he thought to himself, mouth silently hanging open as he marveled at this revelation.

He didn’t even remember what caused him to start thinking about time bullshit.

“You know what’s fucked up?” a voice to his right asked. Kageyama didn’t have to turn his head to know it was Hinata’s. “How like, we’re taking these plants, and setting them on fire, and _breathing,_ and it’s totally like…altering how our brains are working, you know?”

There was a beat of silence before another voice added, “You wanna know something _really_ fucked up… Have you ever buried a dead body before?”

That made Kageyama jolt his head forward. The person who had spoken was one of the guests he didn’t know, some freakishly tall guy in a varsity jacket. Kageyama had noticed him almost immediately when they had first arrived at the party. The stranger hadn’t talked very much, however, and in his stoned state of mind Kageyama gradually forgot about his presence. Until now, of course.

“No…??” Kageyama replied in confusion. He hadn’t even buried a dead animal before, much less an actual dead human body. What kind of question was that?!

The tall boy leaned back in the office chair someone had rolled into the living room, expression unreadable as he continued on. “Okay, so when the police or somebody is looking for missing bodies, satellites look for six-foot-long…” He paused, making a vague gesture as spaced his hands apart. “So if you ever need to hide a body, bury it vertically instead of horizontally. ‘Cause the satellites can’t find it…..if it’s buried vertically…”

There was a beat of silence before Hinata and Kageyama shared a wide-eyed, slightly panicked glance and said almost in unison, “What the _fuck_.”

“Stop that. You’re gonna make them freak out,” Kenma admonished, tossing a throw pillow at the tall boy’s face. 

“Ow.”

Kuroo practically bust a gut from laughing so hard. “That’s so fucking creepy, Ushijima.”

Another long pause followed as this Ushijima guy spun around in the office chair exactly once. “………I’m just faded, man.”

A series of short knocks instantly quieted the room, conversation dying down as all attention turned to the front door. Kageyama’s heartrate—already startled from Ushijima’s whole burying-dead-bodies tidbit—only quickened as Bokuto went to answer the mystery knocker. Was it another party guest? A complaining neighbor? The police?! Even if they hid all the pipes and bongs, little could be done about the smoke and smell permeating the apartment. Not to mention that based on his wardrobe alone, Bokuto might as well have “I SMOKE WEED” tattooed across his forehead.

Bokuto’s wide shoulders blocked the view of whoever was at the door, but Kageyama still clearly heard, “I have an order for a Mr. Bokuto?”

An audible sigh of relief spread throughout the room. “Yup, that’s me!” Bokuto replied, accepting a stack of flat boxes and paying as quickly as possible. The quiet in the room persisted until the delivery person left and the door was shut and locked behind them. Once Bokuto turned around, sporting a wide grin and four large pizza boxes, life returned to the party once more.

“Alright! I thought the food would never get here.”

“Yukie, can you help me with the plates?”

“ _Please_ tell me one of those has pineapple.”

“Pineapple on pizza is a sin against god and mankind, my dude.”

The paranoia that had been buzzing through Kageyama’s veins gradually subsided. No one else seemed to be freaking out; why should he? Besides, his desire to eat something other than party snacks greatly overrode any sense of fear.

A sniffle caught his attention. When he looked over towards Hinata, the latter was quickly rubbing away at his eyes. “Hey…” Kageyama began, one hand hesitantly raised in the space between them. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just…” Hinata sniffled again before finally looking up at the taller boy. He wasn’t crying just yet, but there were definitely tears in his eyes. He looked so genuinely distraught that Kageyama was immediately gripped with worry again. He almost rested his hand sympathetically on Hinata’s shoulder until the redhead added, “I’m just _really_ pumped for this pizza."

He shoved Hinata off the couch. “Dumbass.”

+++

“Bokuto, are you…are you actually crying?”

“There’s nothing on this pizza…”

“What?”

“There’s nothing on this pizza! No toppings, no cheese, not even sauce!! It’s just a circle of _crust_.”

“…The box is upside-down.”

“… … … I’m supes totes baked, guys.”

+++

An hour, or perhaps eighty years later, Kageyama was definitely, certifiably _stoned_. He wasn’t too aware of what was going on around him, too hyper-focused yet mindless as he scrolled through his phone. He wasn’t even sure which app he was on. Twitter, maybe? God, he hoped it wasn’t Facebook; his mom was friends with him.

_Okay. Too high for phone usage right now,_ he thought as he pocketed the device.

The soothing sounds of the Bill Nye theme song quickly pulled Kageyama out of his reverie. He was _positive_ that nobody had turned on the TV. Was he too high and hallucinating? Was that a thing that could happen?

A few feet away from him, Kuroo struggled to get his phone out of his absurdly skinny jeans, the chants of “Bill! Bill!” growing louder once he actually pulled it out. Of _course_ that was his ringtone. “Hey, hey, if it isn’t Kei!” Kuroo answered with a grin. “...Of course I’m high, dude. What kind of scrub do you take me for?” A few more seconds passed, Kuroo’s expression evolving from a grin, to minor confusion, to a smart-alecky smirk before he handed the phone over to Akaashi. “Tsukishima’s lost.”

“I thought he didn’t want to come,” Akaashi replied, accepting the phone anyway. “Hello? Yeah, hang on, let me go in the other room.”

“Why didn’t he just text us or something?” Bokuto asked through a mouthful of popcorn.

Kuroo merely shrugged. “He said he did.”

“No way! I totally would have noticed—oh, he did text me. Lmao.”

“Did you just say ‘lmao’ aloud?” Kenma asked. “In a verbal conversation...?”

“Yeah lol.”

_How is Bokuto not single by now?_ Kageyama thought to himself as Akaashi returned to the living room, tossed Kuroo’s phone back to him, and plopped down onto the couch to prop his legs up on Bokuto’s lap like a footstool. “Tsukishima’s like five minutes away. I guess he changed his mind about not coming.”

“Hey babe,” Hanamaki said, tugging at Matsukawa’s forearm. “It’s probably dark enough to get the King inconspicuously.”

“Nothing about that thing is inconspicuous, but you’re right,” Matsukawa agreed. Albeit sluggishly, the couple rose from their spots on the floor. “Anybody wanna help us bring a massive bong inside?”

In the end Bokuto was the one to assist them, mostly because he had the apartment keys, but also because he was “swole as fuck”—a direct quote from the man himself. Kageyama didn’t move from his corner of the couch, choosing instead to zone out as he watched Hinata and Kenma play some dating sim on the latter’s phone.

The next thing he knew, not three but _five_ people returned a few minutes later, including a pair that Kageyama didn’t recognize. “I don’t even want to how you were even able to fit it into your trunk,” the spectacled blonde said, offering no help whatsoever as Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and Bokuto gingerly carried something long wrapped up with sweaters. His companion awkwardly stood by the door, holding it open for the others.

“Through sheer ingenuity,” Matsukawa replied evenly as the three boys set down their load and peeled off the sweaters one by one. “Hinata, can you stand here for a second?”

“Huh? Why me?”

“Size comparison.”

In the moment that the Grand King was revealed, Kageyama had never felt more intimidated nor awestruck in his life. A semi-translucent turquoise bong spiraled up to Hinata’s eye level, all attention on the glass piece as it stood in the center of the room. A reverent silence settled onto the room while Matsukawa leaned back with a lazy smirk. Hanamaki quickly took the opportunity to proudly point out his boyfriend’s work.

“Three chambers, two filters, and an ice catch for an optimally smooth hit. You need another person to light the bowl, but once you do…” The pink-haired boy half-bowed to the King. “It’s a spiritual experience.”

Kuroo slung an arm around Matsukawa’s shoulders. “My man, my buddy, my _bro_. You’ve truly outdone yourself this time. God bless you.” Other voices chimed in, adding their own compliments and impressed praises.

The blonde newcomer snorted and crossed his arms. “Are we just going to just stand around or are we actually going to smoke some pot? Unlike you all, we’re still unfortunately sober.”

“We brought girl scout cookies!” the boy standing by the door piped up, freckle-spattered face breaking into a sheepish grin as he pulled out a plastic baggie of what was definitely weed, not cookies.

“Thank you; that’s very generous,” Akaashi said, ever the gracious host. “You guys missed the pizza from earlier, but I can get you something else to eat if you’d like.”

“Oh no, that’s okay! I’ve got a ton of food allergies anyway.” 

Meanwhile, the blonde had already made his way across the room and stole Hinata’s old spot on the couch. “If one of those pizzas wasn’t vegan, I wouldn’t have been interested anyway.”

“There were a couple with just cheese,” Kageyama offered, leaning back into the couch to try and make room for the much taller boy. Said blonde looked over towards Kageyama and gave him a condescending frown in response.

“I’m _vegan_ , not vegetarian. _Dairy_ isn’t _vegan_. Have you ever actually stopped to think about where your milk comes from?”

“My milk…? Like, from cows and—”

The blonde cut him off with a half-snicker, half-scoff. “Maybe I’ll tell you later,” was all he said before turning his gaze back to the bong preparations.

Kageyama took a deep breath, not wanting his chill mood to sputter out too soon. Besides, they were about to smoke more weed, and… Oh god, they were going to smoke _more weed_ , and he was already _so high_. He recalled Akaashi’s words from earlier in the kitchen, and wondered if maybe it would be wise to sit this bowl out.

Still fidgeting next to the Grand King, Hinata looked from the bong, to the bag of weed, and then over to Kageyama. The redhead giggled with an almost manic glee as they made eye contact. “I need to find a stool so I can hit this.”

...Alright, maybe he wouldn’t smoke just yet, but Kageyama didn’t have to _completely_ sit this bowl out.

+++

When it was finally his turn for a hit on the Grand King, Hinata—with Kenma expertly lighting the bowl—actually managed to fill _and_ clear two of the chambers before devolving into a coughing fit. It actually got so bad that he chugged one glass of water instantly and had to take another one outside. Kageyama still felt supremely baked, and the thickening cloud of smoke gathering in the living room insisted that maaaaybe it was time for him to take a break. Naturally he followed Hinata out to the balcony, the brisk spring air feeling cool and refreshing against his face.

Hinata hung his head over the balcony railing, the now drained glass sitting discarded by his feet. His arms shielded his face, but Kageyama could hear the remains of his coughing fit slowly dying down.

He sidled up to the railing across from his roommate and stared out into the parking lot. The fact that Bokuto and Akaashi’s apartment didn’t have a scenic view explained why their rent was “so cheap.” After a few more moments of breathing in the fresh air, Kageyama finally spoke up. “That was pretty impressive in there.”

Hinata snorted and lifted his head. From his peripheral, Kageyama could see him resting his chin on his forearms, revealing a face flushed from coughing. “I wanted to clear the whole thing, but it really started to feel like my chest was on fire…”

“Hey.” Kageyama turned to fully face Hinata, crossing his arms as he leaned his side against the railing. “You’ve only been smoking for like two months, and that thing is basically the same size as you. I’m surprised you’re not dead after attempting that, you idiot.”

The redhead laughed quietly and rubbed at his eyes—Kageyama noticed that they were completely bloodshot. Hinata took a deep gulp of air, scrubbed his face, and stood up straight. “What about you? Are you gonna try to ‘take on the King?’” he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Kageyama rolled his eyes, but nonetheless shook his head in response. “Nah, I think I’m good for now. I might smoke later if there’s another joint, but…” He shrugged.

“Well if you do, ask Yamaguchi for some of his ‘cookies.’ That’s some…” Hinata made an okay sign with his fingers, nodding his head solemnly. “It’s good stuff.”

“Yeah? Maybe he’ll pack another bowl later.” After a moment of contemplation, Kageyama added, “Tsukishima’s kind of a prick though.”

Hinata immediately erupted into giggles. “You think so too? I thought I was the only one!”

“Yeah! No one’s ever made me feeling guilty for drinking _milk_ before. That was a low blow.”

“Well he’s a ~special vegan~.” Hinata sang, wiggling his fingertips at the word “special.” Kageyama found this to be hilarious and promptly broke down into snickers, which triggered Hinata to start giggling, until they were both laughing on the balcony with no memory of what was so funny in the first place.

After their laughter subsided, Kageyama leaned his back against the railing, not yet cold but starting to consider returning inside. He looked over his shoulder at Hinata. The shorter boy leaned over the balcony and stared down at the dark concrete, a wide, lazy smile across his face. His eyes, although reddened and droopy, were still upturned in the very picture of happiness.

_Huh,_ Kageyama thought. _Hinata looks kind of beautiful._

_Oh no,_ Kageyama also thought. _We are **not** going to go there._

He immediately chalked up the intrusive thought about his _roommate_ to the fact that he was unbelievably stoned. He thought lots of things were beautiful when he was high—his pizza, the various pipes, hell, even the kitchen countertop. This thought was a fleeting moment that he definitively decided would never happen again. 

Like a godsend, chants of “GU-CHI! GU-CHI!” drifted from inside the apartment, diverting Kageyama’s train of thought. He glanced back at Hinata, who nodded enthusiastically in return, and they both went back inside.

Yamaguchi was in the process of finishing up his hit on the Grand King, the partygoers chanting his name in encouragement. When he exhaled, the cloud of smoke formed into the shape of a _jellyfish_ , and the chanting turned into full-on cheering even as Yamaguchi coughed.

Okay, that was pretty cool.

“That was AMAZING!”

“Yoooooo!!!! Tsukki, your friend’s so cool!!!”

“Where did you learn a trick like that?!”

The freckled boy smiled and awkwardly scratched the back of his head from all the praise. “Ah, well, I watch tutorials online. And I vape a lot, s-so I’m able to practice often that way.”

“Nice hit, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima said, thumping his companion on the back. “You should show them _your_ trick though.”

“Oh! Well, I don’t think I can do it on _this_ monster. I’d need a normal-sized bong—no offense!” 

Matsukawa shrugged. “None taken.”

“What’s this trick supposed to be anyway?” Kageyama asked, wondering what could possibly top the jellyfish.

Yamaguchi’s apparent shyness faded for just a moment as he smirked confidently. “It’s easier if I show you. But it’s a special trick I made up, so it’s totally original. I call it the Darth Fader.”

Kageyama immediately decided in that moment that he officially liked this party as much as last year’s Halloween party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record: Yamaguchi's trick is a real thing that my friend Ezra coined "Darth Fader." Copyright goes to them.
> 
> Again, sorry it took so dang long to /finally/ finish this story arc. I highly discourage becoming an adult. Hopefully this longer-than-usual chapter makes up for some of the long wait? Maybe??
> 
> Thank you all for your patience, and for reading in the first place! Every comment, kudo(s?), and even page hit warms my heart. I hope you enjoy reading about Kageyama and Hinata going through cheesy cliches while also becoming stoners. Stay tuned for more!


	7. Rooftop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2017, guys. This is the chapter where Hinata moans a lot and tells Kageyama to be rougher.

“I’m home!” Hinata’s voice called out from the hallway. Kageyama shut off the sink, putting his dishwashing on pause as he glanced up at the clock. A quarter till eight—over an hour later than Hinata was supposed to be home from work.

“Welcome back,” he greeted over his shoulder. “Did you get held up at work again?”

A long, drawn-out groan was all the answer that Kageyama needed. He returned to cleaning the dishes, sure that after Hinata put away his bike, he’d tell him about whatever ridiculous work incident had happened that day.

Sure enough, Hinata eventually made his way into the kitchen, predictably heading straight for the fridge. “My last customer was this lady trying to return a dog toy that’d been mauled to death,” he said, grabbing a half-block of cheese. “Like, if you know your dog has destructive tendencies, of _course_ he’s going to rip up a stuffed toy! But _no,_ it was _our_ fault for selling ‘faulty’ products.” He huffed in frustration and bit off a chunk of the cheese.

“Which store was this today?” Kageyama asked, trying to keep any hints of amusement out of his voice as he rinsed the silverware. Hinata’s retail horror stories never failed to entertain. 

“The one Noya manages, but he was out on his lunch break during all this.”

“Lunch at what, five o’clock?”

Hinata shrugged through a half-mouthful of food and ignored the comment. “I eventually told her we could exchange the toy, but when I looked at her receipt she bought it _six months ago_. And she got it from a _completely different_ return. Then she started screaming about how she was going to leave a bad review, and I wanted to go home, so I just did the return anyway.”

Kageyama snorted. “Even after all that, you just gave in?”

Hinata groaned and slumped his head against the fridge door. “I know, I know! I had to tell Noya about it after he came back from lunch. He says that I’m great at my upselling! But I just…have to work on my returns.” He sighed dramatically before scarfing down the rest of the cheese. Kageyama set the dishes aside to air dry and leaned against the counter to face Hinata, who was now busy searching through the freezer. “Anyway, then I missed my first bus, and my second bus was delayed, so that’s why I’m back so late. _And_ it was inventory day today.”

“Sounds like a rough shift.”

Without looking at him, Hinata rolled his eyes and replied, “Tell me about it.”

There was a beat of hesitation before Kageyama added, “Did you wanna smoke a bowl or something?” He was half-joking, but also secretly half-serious (mostly half-serious).

One arm still elbow-deep in the freezer, Hinata clammed up for a moment. Kageyama was just about to take back what he said when the redhead pulled out a Tupperware and turned back to Kageyama with a grin. “It’s like you read my mind!”

Kageyama recognized the plastic container: Akaashi had given them one brownie after the 420 party—to _share,_ the elder boy had emphasized. The fact that Hinata had retrieved it now obviously meant only one thing. Kageyama’s narrowed eyes shifted between the edible and Hinata’s hopeful grin, weighing his options. “Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

“Nope! Do you?”

“No…” Kageyama _had_ been planning on going grocery shopping…but that could always wait until later in the day. “Alright. Hand me a piece.”

+++

Half a brownie and two episodes of _Hank’s Hot Dogs_ later, Kageyama was positive that he was still sober. He was fairly certain that Hinata was also unaffected, if the latter’s constant shuffling and shifting on the couch was any indication.

While the laptop asked if they wanted to start the next episode, Kageyama turned to his roommate and asked, “Are you high yet?”

“Not even close,” Hinata groaned, tilting his head back to glare at the ceiling. “This is taking forever! Maybe Akaashi didn’t make this one as strong after last time? Argh, we should have just smoked a bowl!”

“That was literally my first suggestion,” the dark-haired boy quipped, scrolling through the laptop to see if there was a better episode to watch.

A long pause followed, eventually broken by Hinata’s hesitant voice. “You know… We still have a lot of the weed I bought off Hanamaki.” That was true—Hinata had straight up _bought drugs_ at the 420 party. To be fair, four grams for twenty bucks was apparently a great price, and Matsukawa had even thrown in a simple hand pipe for free. Admittedly it was a pretty good drug deal.

Kageyama pondered the idea for a moment. On the one hand, he had never combined edibles and smoking before. The brownie’s effect could hit them any minute. Who knew what could happen? On the other hand, it was just him and Hinata, and they were only mixing weed with more weed, and neither of them worked tomorrow… “Do you really want to go all the way to the dog park?”

Hinata’s nose wrinkled in displeasure. “Ugh. I don’t really want to leave the apartment…”

“Then what do you suggest, dumbass?”

“Uh......” Yet _another_ pause commenced while Hinata apparently wracked his brain for an answer. Kageyama crossed him arms as he somewhat-patiently waited. “Oh! Okay,” Hinata exclaimed with a clap. “So Bokuto told me about how he would hotbox his old dorm’s bathroom without ever getting caught…”

+++

A year ago, if someone had told Kageyama that he would be balancing on a toilet trying to open a tiny window while his roommate stuffed a pipe with marijuana on the bathroom floor, he would have called them an idiot. Yet here he was, helping prepare the bathroom for as inconspicuous a smoke session as possible.

Somehow they were _still_ sober.

“Did you get the window open yet?”

“Not…yet… Jeez, did the last tenants _ever_ open this thing?!”

“Maybe you’re just weak.”

Kageyama shot a glare over his shoulder for that. “At least I can actually reach it,” he muttered. “Just shut up and load the bowl.”

Hinata flicked the back of his knee, but nonetheless returned his focus to the task at hand.

After longer than reasonable, with the window pried open and towels blocking the space under the door, Kageyama and Hinata sat cross-legged on their bathroom floor, a pipe of weed between the two of them. “So…do you want the first hit, or…?” Hinata began tentatively.

Kageyama shook his head, readjusting himself so that the medicine cabinet wasn’t digging into his shoulder blade. “Go for it. You’re the one who had a shit day at work today.”

Hinata responded with a sunny grin as he took up the lighter and pipe. It was a clear glass piece, small enough to fit in Hinata’s palm. The bowl was a little lopsided (probably why Matsukawa had given it up for free), but accomplished its job just fine.

The taller boy watched in silence as Hinata took his hit, cheeks tinged with pink as he held his breath. The smoke curled past his nose and mouth on his exhale, lazily swirling upwards in the space between them. Kageyama watched its slow, slow ascent up and out the window, hoping that Bokuto was right and their entire apartment wouldn’t end up smelling like weed.

Hinata must have somehow picked up on this concern, because when he passed the pipe he said, “It’ll be fine, Kageyama! Bokuto has great techniques, and even his parents have never caught him!”

“I _know_ it’ll be fine,” Kageyama retorted with a slight grimace as he lit the bowl. The now familiar taste of burnt herbal smoke and subtle citrus hit his tongue before the singeing at the back of his throat. He couldn’t help the tiny swell of pride in his chest when he didn’t feel the need to cough immediately. _I’m getting better at this,_ he thought as he returned the pipe to Hinata. _Or maybe my lungs are just getting tougher._

They sat on the bathroom floor for several more minutes, taking turns hitting the bowl as the air filled with semi-sweet smoke and Kageyama felt that pleasant buzz creep through the back of his skull.

Then Hinata pulled too hard and ended up with a mouthful of ash and mostly burnt weed. “Holy shi- _i-it_ ,” he half-wheezed, half-groaned, balancing his head between his knees as he hacked up a lung.

“Don’t die,” the taller boy warned as he tried to wave away some of the smoke.

Hinata sniveled pathetically. “I think I need some f-fresh air.”

+++

The elevator trip to the rooftop was spent in silence. Hinata kept his forehead pressed against the wall while Kageyama stared at the elevator buttons from behind his sunglasses, entranced by their faint blue glow. The brownie had probably kicked in by now; combined with the half bowl from earlier, he felt happily blazed. Although there was nothing of note on the rooftop, Kageyama would be content to stare out over the nearby construction site in the darkness. Besides, the fresh evening air would do them both some good, and hopefully Hinata wouldn’t die.

_Ding._

Kageyama’s delayed reflexes only registered the German Shepherd bounding across the rooftop deck _after_ it barreled into Hinata’s side. He watched in slow-motion as Hinata, having taken only three steps out of the elevator, was toppled onto his ass and pinned down by a massive dog. “Kate, no! Come back!” a strange man’s voice yelled. The dog merely ignored the command and continued trying to wipe Hinata’s face off with its tongue.

Kageyama immediately second-guessed this entire adventure.

A tall, thuggish man came jogging towards them, dressed in a surprisingly nice suit and carrying a half-empty beer bottle. He would have been intimidating if it weren’t for his worried, red-faced expression and the stream of apologies pouring out of his mouth. “I am so, SO sorry!! She’s really sweet, she just gets a little over-excited sometimes. Kate, get off of him! Bad girl!” the man scolded, gently and unsuccessfully tugging at the dog’s collar. 

“No, no, it’s totally fine! I love animals!” Hinata insisted, wrapping his arms around the dog’s neck and burying his face into its thick fur. “Who’s a good dog? Who’s a sweet little pupper?! Yes, YOU are!!!” The German Shepherd enthusiastically nuzzled the small human in return.

“Uh, o-okay…” The man hesitantly stepped away, scratching at his goatee in embarrassment as he looked at Kageyama. “I’m still really sorry about that. Um, I’m Azumane, and this is my dog Kate. I mean—my parents’ dog! That I’m just watching for a little while! Hahah!” He choked on his nervous laughter and coughed into his fist. “So uh, do you guys live in the building?”

A tiny seed of panic took hold in Kageyama’s gut. He was nowhere near prepared enough to have a conversation with a complete stranger while stoned. _He’s totally going to know we’re high,_ Kageyama thought, wondering if his sunglasses were successfully hiding how red his eyes were. …Sunglasses. He glanced past Azumane’s head and up at the dark, clouded, and very sunless night sky.

_I’m way too high for this._

Azumane laughed nervously again and Kageyama was immediately yanked back down to Earth. Shit, what had he asked? “…Yeah. Yes, we live here. Downstairs. I’m Kageyama, that’s Hinata.” Super smooth.

“Oh, nice to meet you!” Azumane seemed to relax a little bit now that Hinata was snuggling with his dog on the ground. “I live on the third floor. I’m just having some friends over for a party.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the small group near the edge of the rooftop. Two more men in suits and a _ridiculously_ beautiful woman watched the exchange from a distance. Kageyama felt horribly out of place in his TOTAL FITNESS hoodie and sweatpants. Azumane must not have noticed or cared, because he then added, “Did you two want to join us, or…? Or not! I mean, don’t feel like you have to leave just because we’re here. The roof’s for everybody to use, so I don’t want anyone to think we’re hogging it or something.”

Kageyama glanced at Hinata for his input, but the latter was still too busy with a face full of fur. _Thanks for all the help, dumbas—uh oh._

Ohhh dear.

 _Now_ the brownie actually kicked in.

“Actually,” Kageyama began, struggling to articulate the word when his tongue was suddenly so heavy and dry. “We gotta go back inside. There’s stuff we really need to finish.” A warm tingling sensation crept from the base of his neck towards the rest of his extremities, while his mind felt as though someone had stuffed cotton candy between his ears. He felt light and giddy, and the sensation would be pleasant if he wasn’t in the middle of a conversation with one of his neighbors. “Hinata,” Kageyama hissed, nudging the other’s side with his foot. “Come on, we gotta…do our stuff.”

Kageyama couldn’t tell if it was Hinata or Kate who whined in protest.

“A-alright, if you’re sure…” Azumane pulled his dog back by the collar, keeping her in place long enough for Hinata to stand up and immediately turn away towards the elevator. “Again, I’m really sorry about my d—my parents’ dog! And that we’re using up the roof.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s chill.” Kageyama shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for the elevator to return.

A solid ten seconds of awkward silence followed until one of Azumane’s friends drunkenly called out, “Heeeey, Asahi!! Hurry up, this promotion ain’t gonna celebrate itseeelf!”

“Coming, Suga!” the tall man replied over his shoulder, then added to the two younger neighbors, “Well, have a good night you two.”

_Ding._

“Ohhh my god,” Hinata breathed out once the elevator doors slid shut and they were both descending to the safety of their apartment. “That guy is one of my customers.”

“He’s _what_?!” Kageyama whirled around to face the shorter boy, yanking off his sunglasses to glare at Hinata. “Are you _positive_ that’s him?”

“Yeah! He’s a regular at Noya’s store. I remember him because they always spend twenty minutes talking and there’s like a foot of height difference between them.”

“Then why didn’t _you_ try talking to him instead of his dog? You left me completely alone back there!”

“Because I’m _baked_!” Hinata grabbed Kageyama by the shoulders, yanking him down so that they were at eye level. “Akaashi’s brownie kicked in during the elevator ride up and it was _lit_ and there was a _dog_ , what do you expect from me, jerk?!”

“Well I’m baked too!” Kageyama retorted in frustration. “And at least your edible didn’t activate mid-conversation!”

A beat of heavy silence passed as they scowled intensely at each other. During that second, Kageyama was acutely aware of the faint smell of marijuana on Hinata’s clothes; how red and droopy his eyes were; and how he had told Hinata that his eyes were poop brown before, but up this close he could see that they were actually a much brighter color than poop, and had some faint flecks of gold that caught the light when he tilted his face up.

Within the next moment the pair burst into giggles, the type of laughter one can only get after smoking a bowl and eating half a weed brownie. By the time the elevator delivered them to their floor Kageyama had forgotten about why he had been irritated. And if he couldn’t remember, it probably couldn’t be that important, right? There was no point in holding onto useless frustration. The lightness in his mind and limbs returned as his tension slipped away.

“Hey, do you know if we have any meat buns left?”

Hinata’s face slowly spread into an excited and very high grin. “Oh _yeah_ we do.”

+++

Content with bellies full of food and THC, the two roommates curled up on their opposite ends of the secondhand couch to mindlessly watch more television. Kageyama didn’t remember who changed the show to a crime drama or why they did so, but honestly, he couldn’t care less. He just felt so…chill. The high from the brownie seemed to envelope his entire body, clouding his thoughts, relaxing his limbs. The world was reduced to the four walls of the living room and the glow of the laptop screen. All was right in the world.

Except his mouth was _super fucking dry._

Sluggishly, Kageyama tore himself away from the couch to make a kitchen expedition. The tap water was a cool and welcome refreshment to his parched tongue. He could feel it cascade down his throat, sloshing into his stomach and mingling with the digesting remains of his earlier meal. Kageyama stared at the now-empty glass in fascination. Water: the source of all life, more valuable than gold, the most stalwart quencher of thirst. It amazed Kageyama that without this colorless, flavorless liquid, literally everything in the world would die within a matter of days.

Okay, that was a little terrifying to think about. He poured two more glasses of water and returned to the living room, setting one glass down in front of Hinata before plopping back into his spot on the couch. “Oh, thanks,” Hinata mumbled, too distracted by the car chase to tear his eyes away from the screen. For the life of him, Kageyama couldn’t remember the events that led to the car chase.

While the redhead stared at the laptop, Kageyama sipped his water and stared at him. Hinata’s brows furrowed in concentration as he watched the show. He didn’t seem to notice Kageyama’s vacant stare as he rubbed at his shoulder. Occasionally his face would subtly contort in pain and he’d roll his shoulder back, stretching the muscle with a slight grimace. Kageyama recognized the expression—must be some sort of muscle injury.

“What’s wrong with your shoulder?” he asked.

Hinata jumped a little in his seat. Understandable, considering that they were stoned and Kageyama had been completely silent since they finished off the meat buns. “Huh? Oh, I think I pulled a muscle earlier when I was lifting some food bags. It’s nothing too bad though!”

Kageyama thought otherwise. “Muscle injuries can get pretty serious. You treated it, right? Used ice or a heating pad or something?”

“Uhhh…”

“Oh my god.” Kageyama smacked his forehead. “Look, if you don’t get some sort of proper treatment, your shoulder can get worse.”

“Thank you, ‘Mr. Personal Trainer,’” Hinata interjected, complete with air quotes.

“I’m serious!” Kageyama grumbled. “I _was_ going to help you, but go ahead and overwork your shoulder, and severely tear a muscle, and then never be able to use that arm again.”

Hinata’s face turned white.

“ _Or_ you could let me help you.”

“Whatever lets me keep my arm. Scary…” Hinata muttered the last word under his breath. Kageyama heard him anyway.

“Tsk. Just turn around and I’ll use some massage therapy techniques.”

“You’re going to _massage_ me?!”

“It’s only weird if you make it weird,” Kageyama retorted, repeating Tanaka’s old words. “Professional trainers do this all the time to treat strained muscles. …Besides, I need more practice. It’s not like I’m going to rub you down with oils or some bullshit.”

Hinata’s face went from white to bright pink, clashing with his hair and red-rimmed eyes. Kageyama was quietly fascinated by how quickly the blood could rush to and from Hinata’s face. Nevertheless, the shorter boy turned around with a quiet huff and crossed his arms.

“You’re going to make this harder for both of us if you stay tensed up,” Kageyama said, setting his water aside and scooting forward on the couch to position himself behind Hinata.

“I’m not tensed up—ow! I thought you were _healing_ me, creep! …Creepyama!”

“Weak.” Kageyama pinched his neck out of spite before actually getting down to work. His fingers mechanically kneaded against the fabric of Hinata’s t-shirt, working through the knots in the muscles. Jesus, there was a surprising amount of tension between Hinata’s shoulders. Kageyama’s brows furrowed together as he swam through the sluggishness in his body. All of his focus poured into the job at hand. Hinata was probably overworking himself again. He was always picking up extra shifts at Central Pawk, biking across the city to whichever store needed him most that day. He _really_ deserved a raise considering how dedicated he was to his job—and all the bullshit he put up with.

“Ohhhhhhh my _gooooddddd_ ,” Hinata groaned. “That feels _soooo good_.”

Kageyama didn’t know if the weed brownie was to blame, but his ears suddenly felt as though they were on fire. “Good? You don’t feel any sharp pains, I’m not being too rough…?” He genuinely wanted critique. If he was going to be doing this to future clients, Kageyama wanted to know if he was shit at massage therapy.

“You’re not being rough enough!” Hinata corrected. “Seriously, don’t be afraid to _really_ dig in there! Here—” What would have been one fluid motion ended up being a slow, clumsy display thanks to the heaviness in Hinata’s arms, but after ten seconds he managed to take his shirt off.

…Hinata had managed to take his shirt off, and was now sitting with his bare back to Kageyama.

Alright then.

Kageyama returned to rubbing the other’s shoulders, more hesitant now that there wasn’t a layer of cotton pressed against his fingertips. _It’s only weird if you make it weird,_ Tanaka’s voice reminded him. Right. This was just a job. Not even a job—this was practice for a _future_ job. Just be professional and focus on easing the pulled muscle, not on how the knobs of Hinata’s spine protruded down his back in a long line, or how the redhead’s groans and grunts filled the room every time Kageyama applied pressure against him, or how—

This wasn’t helping. Kageyama put his hands on autopilot and shifted his attention to the show still playing in the background. Apparently the suspect’s twin had been the culprit all along.

Kageyama really needed to re-watch this episode when he was sober.

Eventually, after several more minutes of Hinata’s borderline-pornographic moaning, the last of the major muscle knots finally released as Hinata choked out another long, drawn-out groan. “Phew… That was _amazing_!” Hinata looked over his shoulder and gave the dark-haired boy a sunny, stoned grin. “Thanks, Kageyama! I guess I needed that.”

Kageyama yanked his hands back as though the other boy’s skin had scorched him. His ears were definitely still burning. “Sure,” he replied, slinking back to his corner of the couch and purposefully looking away from Hinata. “Just be more careful, idiot. I’m charging you next time.”

“I probably _would_ pay you to do that again!” Hinata said as he redressed. “This is probably just the weed talking, but that was seriously _lit_.”

“That’s definitely just the weed talking,” Kageyama muttered. The laptop asked if they wanted to start the next episode. God, yes _please_.

+++

“Kageyama?”

“Hmm?”

“Are we still watching _Hank’s Hot Dogs_?”

“What? _No_. This is some cop show.”

“Ohhh! I thought it was just a weird episode.”

“Does this _look_ like a cartoon to you?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it's been a while. Let's just say that juggling two jobs at once while trying to finish up my last year of college has sucked the life/time/energy out of me lmao. I've had no time to write about these gay volleyball boys being gay stoner boys, so I apologize to you all for the hella long wait (hence the relatively longer chapter...or maybe the plot's just taking me for a wild ride).
> 
> Special thanks to my buds Esther+Ezra who beta'd for me. They're the reason this isn't absolute garbage. And thank YOU all for your continued support and kindness!!! Comments, corrections, and kudos are always welcome. I hope you're enjoying reading these adventures as much as I'm enjoying writing them.
> 
> (Small note: Hinata's upselling is a metaphor for his jump, and returns are for his blocking. Because I'm gay like that and felt the need to tell you all.)


	8. Raven's Roost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long, unprompted hiatus, but here's the update! Things are about to get Real Gay up in here.

The Raven’s Roost Smoke Shop was an unobtrusive little hole-in-the-wall that Kageyama must have walked past dozens of times without stepping inside. To be fair, he had never had a reason to visit a smoke shop before. However, today was literally the day of Hinata’s birthday and he was officially out of options. He had to find a gift before Hinata got back from his parents’ house. Kageyama wouldn’t be having this issue if Hinata had just told him what he wanted _three weeks ago_ when Kageyama originally asked.

God, what an idiot.

The inside of the shop was surprisingly clean and bright, especially considering that the only window had bars on the outside. There was one other customer in the store when Kageyama stepped inside. He was secretly a little relieved for this; if the clerk was preoccupied with selling cigarettes, that meant Kageyama had a couple minutes to peruse the wares and not look like he was completely lost.

The back wall of the shop had a floor-to-ceiling glass case filled with elaborate bongs of glass, ceramic, and even metal. While none of them had quite the same austerity as the Grand King, the various sizes and spiraling shapes were enough to intimidate the dark-haired young man. Bright green, turquoise, and violet pipes all vied for Kageyama’s attention, promising aesthetic beauty and gnarly bong rips. Kageyama moved closer to read the price stickers, hopes high until he realized that nothing in the case cost less than fifty dollars.

Well, he wasn’t spending _that_ much on Hinata.

Kageyama tried to casually walk around the shop until he “accidentally” stumbled upon the glass case labeled “Clearance.” The pieces in this case were smaller and much less impressive, but most of them actually fell within Kageyama’s budget. His eyes scanned rapidly across the shelves, trying to find something that Hinata might appreciate.

A small black pipe with orange swirls soon caught his eye. It was about the same size as a hand pipe, but the bottom was fat and bulbous, while the neck curled upwards almost like a miniature bong. The color scheme reminded Kageyama of Halloween, which probably explained why it was on clearance. What was of greater interest was that the orange was almost the exact same shade as Hinata’s hair. Kageyama would know—he’d seen enough of it clogging the shower drain. 

“Which one are you looking at?” an imposing voice asked from directly behind Kageyama. The dark-haired boy jumped slightly and looked up to see the clerk standing behind the case. The older man’s arms were crossed over his chest, almost obscuring the R.R.S.S. embroidered on his apron. His blonde hair was pulled back with a simple headband, dark roots beginning to creep along his hairline. He stared at Kageyama with one eyebrow cocked, as though he was wondering whether or not he should ask for this kid’s I.D.

“Uh, could I see that one please?” Kageyama replied as respectfully as he could manage, pointing at the oddly shaped Halloween pipe. 

The clerk nodded and unlocked the case from his side. “The bubbler, right?” he asked, and although Kageyama didn’t know what that meant he nodded anyway. The clerk grabbed the correct pipe and set it on the glass countertop. “It used to be priced at thirty, but now that it’s on clearance it’s only fifteen. A real bargain, if you’d ask me.” 

Kageyama gingerly reached for the pipe, and when the clerk didn’t say anything, he picked it up to inspect it. He wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to be looking for. The pipe—well, bubbler, he supposed—was surprisingly light. On the underside of the bulbous lower chamber was an etching of some black winged shape, maybe a bat or some kind of bird. Whatever, this was probably the best thing he could get for Hinata. “I’d like to get this one,” he decided as he set the bubbler back down.

“Sure. I just need to see your I.D. first.” 

The younger man tried to pull his wallet out as casually as possible, which was thwarted when his I.D. got stuck and he had to spend a few awkward seconds finagling it loose. The clerk didn’t bat an eye as he glanced over the plastic and then soon handed it back. “You know how to use a bubbler, right?”

Shit. “Um…”

The clerk released a short sigh before leaning over the countertop. “Have you ever smoked before?” Kageyama hesitated for a moment before nodding. The clerk picked up the glass piece, holding in front of Kageyama and pointing at the various areas as he explained. “Alright, you’ll want to fill this part with water about halfway for a smoother hit. Use enough so that you can hear a ‘bubbling’ sound when you pull, but not so much that you’re going to inhale the water. Put your _tobacco_ —” At this the clerk gave Kageyama a stern look. “—in the bowl right here. The carb is here, mouthpiece here… Got it?”

Kageyama nodded again. “One last thing... You guys don’t happen to gift wrap, do you?”

The clerk gave him a quizzical look for a second, but shrugged. “Sure, it’s just a little extra.”

“Okay, I’m almost done with the orders,” a familiar voice called from a back room. Kageyama tensed as a third person appeared from the back of the store. Tall. Glasses. A face that said _punch me, I’m a dick._ “Except the incense lady is still—what are _you_ doing here?” 

“What—what are you doing here?!” Kageyama immediately retorted.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and gestured to his black apron. “I _work_ here, idiot. I literally told you that at Bokuto’s.” 

“ _Hey,_ ” the other clerk smacked the back of the younger blonde’s head. “You’re still on the clock, Kei. Would it kill you to pretend to be friendly?” 

“ _This_ guy? Friendly?” Kageyama scoffed. Tsukishima clucked his tongue in disdain.

“Jesus…” The older man pinched the bridge of his nose before turning back to Kageyama. “Look, did you still want to buy the bubbler? I’ll make the gift wrapping free of charge.”

Kageyama glanced between the two men, then at the bubbler. He was literally out of gift options and the clock was ticking. “Yes, please.”

“Thank god,” the clerk muttered, and then addressed Tsukishima. “Alright, what’s this about the incense lady?”

Tsukishima stopped glaring at Kageyama long enough to answer his...co-worker? Manager? “Yeah, she’s still on hold. I told her I was going to grab you.” 

The clerk actually groaned aloud. “Fine, fine… Ring this guy up for me? And _behave_ yourself,” he added with a pointed glare before disappearing into the back room.

Once they were alone, a few seconds passed in tense silence while Kageyama and Tsukishima scowled at each other. Eventually Tsukishima gave in to his work responsibilities, and rang up the bubbler with a dramatic eye roll. “Is this for your boyfriend or something?” the blonde snarked as he swiped Kageyama’s card.

Kageyama’s hands balled into fists at his side. “He’s my _roommate,_ not my boyfriend!” he snapped. Tsukishima only smirked but didn’t say anything as he began wrapping the glass piece in plain white tissue paper. Kageyama’s scowl intensified as he stared at the cigarette packs lining the wall. Out of all the smoke shops in the city, of course he had to stop by the one that the anti-milk vegan guy worked at.

The next few moments were filled with another tense silence as Tsukishima finished up the gift wrapping. Even though it was just white tissue paper and a simple black paper bag, the blonde had somehow made the gift look aesthetically pleasing. He had even tied a little bow on the bag handles. That was kinda nice.

“So if he’s not your boyfriend, then how did you know who I was talking about?”

_This fucking guy._ Kageyama just grabbed his bag and stormed out. 

+++

“I’m home!”

The sound of Hinata’s announcement ringing from the front door made Kageyama’s mouth dry up. He shook off the odd response, frowning to himself as he closed the article on how to spot a bad personal trainer. He was probably just worried that Hinata’s gift would be considered Too Much, or that he wouldn't like it, or any number of reasons, really. They had gotten each other socks last Christmas, so a bubbler was definitely an upgrade, right?

Hinata was busy stuffing the fridge full of various tupperware when Kageyama finally emerged from his bedroom. “Hey. How was dinner?”

“It was great!” Hinata replied, trying to squeeze the milk back into the fridge. “My sister made me an ice cream cake by herself and it was AMAZING! There's a slice for you in the freezer. Oh! And Mom sent me home with a bunch of extra food, so we should be good on groceries for a while!” 

“That's good news. Next time you talk to your mom tell her thanks for me.” The black paper bag hidden behind Kageyama’s back felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

“I will! She and Natsu also say hey.” Hinata shoved the food as far back as he could and slammed the refrigerator door shut. Kageyama winced; he'd have to be careful the next time he opened it just in case everything decided to spill out.

“Well, tell them I said hello back,” Kageyama replied. His skin was warm and his palms were starting to sweat. Looks like it was going to be a hot summer this year. “So. I got you something.”

When Hinata turned to face him, there was poorly concealed excitement on his face. “Really?! I mean you totally didn’t have to...but what is it??”

“Idiot. Of course I had to. It’s your birthday,” Kageyama scoffed, unceremoniously thrusting the bag forward. “And I lost the receipt, so you might as well just take it.”

Hinata rolled his eyes at the comment, but accepted the bag regardless. When he began tearing out the tissue paper, Kageyama quickly added, “Be careful, dumbass, it’s breakable!” A look of confusion briefly crossed the redhead’s face, but he still heeded the warning and carefully opened up his gift.

There was a second of silence after the bubbler was revealed, Hinata saying nothing as he turned the glass piece over in his hands. A tiny seed of worry planted itself in Kageyama’s gut. Hinata didn’t like it. He could tell that it was some cheesy Halloween piece, even though it was the middle of June. Kageyama was totally stepping out of appropriate roommate boundaries by getting him something other than a simple gift card. This was a mistake and he was already regretting throwing out the receipt.

Before Kageyama could open his mouth to attempt some damage control, Hinata looked up at him and gave a million-watt smile. “I… This is so cool!! I-I don’t even know what to say!” There was a split second where Hinata’s wide grin turned into something more subdued, almost soft. Kageyama didn’t have any time to wonder what that might mean, because without any warning, Hinata stepped forward and threw his arms around Kageyama’s shoulders, pulling the taller boy into a tight hug. Kageyama’s arms stayed frozen at his sides, completely useless. “Thank you, Kageyama! This is an awesome gift!” Just as quickly as he initiated it, Hinata pulled away and ended the hug to admire his new bubbler some more.

Kageyama blinked stupidly a few times as he tried to find his voice again. “N...No problem. Glad you like it and it wasn’t a waste.” The kitchen was quickly becoming way too warm for comfort. He blamed global warming.

“Of course, I love it!” Hinata flashed his blinding smile again. “I still have some Dream Queen left, you know. We should totally smoke a bowl to celebrate!!”

Kageyama shrugged, but the corners of his mouth threatened to upturn into a smile. “Sure, if that’s what you want. The clerk said to fill it with partway with water so that our hits would be smoother, since it’s a bubbler and not a regular pipe.” Although his earlier panic had mostly dissipated, there was still some tightness in the pit of Kageyama’s stomach. Weird. Smoking some weed would surely help with that. “Oh, speaking of which: you won’t believe who I ran into at the smoke shop.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. It's been a hot minute since this fic updated. I recently graduated from college, so I finally have some free time to work on this ridiculous stoner AU. Thanks for all of your patience and support, everyone! Every comment, kudos, and bookmark warms my tiny stoner heart.
> 
> A very special thank you to my friends Ezra and Esther for beta reading this chapter for me! You guys are the best. 
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter! I've been looking forward to writing the next one for a while. Hopefully y'all won't have to wait seven goddamn months for an update this time.


	9. Midsummer Night Joints

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *kicks down door, dumps this on the floor, and runs off*

This summer was unusually sticky and hot. Beautiful blue, cloudless skies meant that the sun was free to beat down mercilessly upon the people below. Sunglasses sales spiked up, shorts became everyday attire, and a few people with money to spare even considered installing air conditioners.

For Kageyama, staying inside whenever possible would have to do. He was graciously blessed with air conditioning at work. From behind his desk he would watch the gym’s patrons as they went through their fitness routines. He was both impressed by their dedication to working out even in this heat, and horrified that they would be working out even in this heat. At least membership signups had increased; everyone preferred to work up a sweat in a climate-controlled building rather than outside in this ungodly weather. When he was in his apartment, Kageyama spent most of his time in front of the fan by his bedside (or with his head in the freezer when Hinata wasn’t home).

The heat not only tested Kageyama’s sweat glands, but they also tested his patience. He felt drained yet high-strung by the end of the day. Any time that his bus was late for more than three minutes, his temper would flare up and he would become a broody, sweaty mess by the time he finally boarded the vehicle. Doing laundry or washing dishes would irritate him far more than usual simply due to the heat involved in both chores. Every morning he would check the weather forecast, and every morning he would groan at the discovery that he would spend yet another week in Satan’s asshole.

Hinata, on the other hand, seemed to be energized by the summer sun. On his off days he wore flip flops and tank tops with pride. He spent enough time outside on his bike to the point where Kageyama had to buy a value-sized bottle of sunscreen so that Hinata’s skin wouldn’t burn to a crisp.

Even on their days off, neither of them would smoke weed during the day. Oftentimes the evenings were too hot to cram two boys into a bathroom and fill it with smoke. Although Hinata loved his new bubbler—named the Little Giant due to its small size and the fact that it hit like hell—it barely saw any use before the heatwave arrived. The weather made Kageyama feel unreasonably stressed out, and there were nights where he lay awake sweating in bed wishing he could just fucking sleep.

Thus, Hinata and Kageyama’s summertime tradition of nighttime outdoor smoking was created.

+++

The moon was bright enough to illuminate the little section of the dog park that two young stoners made their own. They passed a joint between the two of them, smoke and quiet conversation mingling with the warm night air. They sat side-by-side on a metal bench, Kageyama’s heels digging into the dirt, Hinata’s toes brushing against the ground as he swung his legs back and forth. The redhead was deep in thought, humming in concentration as he considered his words carefully.

“Probablyyyy….Luke Skywalker. Or Lola Bunny. Wait, maybe it was Luke Skywalker? I don’t know who came first, but it was definitely one of those two.” Hinata nodded once, satisfied with his answer.

Kageyama snorted before he took a drag from the joint. He forgot the name of the strain, but he knew they were smoking a sativa. “Seriously? Your first crushes were on _fictional characters?_ ”

Hinata huffed defensively and snatched the joint back. “Hey, I’m being completely serious! I didn’t start having crushes on actual people until later. Luke Skywalker was when I realized I liked guys, and Lola Bunny was when I realized oh no I definitely liked girls too.”

“And that you’re a huge furry.”

Hinata rolled his eyes but couldn’t respond as he was in the middle of inhaling a lungful of smoke. Kageyama chuckled not-so-quietly in victory.

Hinata passed the joint back to the dark-haired boy, face reddening until he slowly released two thick streams of smoke out of his nostrils. God, that was a big hit. Hinata was going to be _stoned_ in a couple minutes if he wasn't already. “Well what about you, huh? Who was _your_ first crush?”

Kageyama accepted the joint and took a long hit. The joint was more than halfway finished, earthy flavors slowly giving way to ashy bitterness. It was probably nearing midnight, or maybe past midnight. He hadn’t checked his phone recently. Oh well, he worked an afternoon shift tomorrow, so he could afford to stay out a little longer. Hinata blinked up at him once with heavily hooded eyes. Right, right, question. Kageyama couldn’t even remember how they had gotten onto this conversational topic. “Uh… I think I was in the third or fourth grade, and our neighbors’ son was a few years older than me. My bedroom window faced our yards so I’d…ugh, this is weird when I say it aloud, but I’d sit in my room and just watch him mow their lawn sometimes.” Yeah, sure, “sometimes.” One of Little Tobio’s favorite pastimes was watching the neighbor boy perform physical activities next door. That was kinda weird.

Then again, Hinata had just admitted to being attracted to _Luke Skywalker_ and _Lola Bunny._

To his surprise, Hinata actually giggled. “That’s kinda cute.”

“Oh my god, shut up.” Kageyama shoved the joint in Hinata’s direction, looking away and fanning his neck with his free hand. The summer nights might have been cooler, but it was still warm as hell outside. “Anyway… What was your longest relationship? And fictional characters are excluded.”

Hinata stuck out his tongue childishly before taking another drag. “Hm… I think that’s actually Yachi. Or maybe Inuoka? No, no, wait, I was official with Yachi for longer. So like, eight or nine months?”

Kageyama snorted in disbelief. He remembered Yachi; she and Hinata had split up shortly before Kageyama and Hinata signed their lease together. But the other guy... “You used to date Inuoka?”

“Yeah dude! We broke up before you and I met so it was a while ago, but we dated for like six months. I thought you knew this; you’ve _met_ Inuoka before!”

This was true. There had even been a few times where Kageyama had come home to find Hinata, Kenma, and Inuoka in the living room playing video games. “I’m just surprised you guys _dated_ ,” he clarified. “Not everybody stays friends with literally all of their exes.”

Hinata shrugged. “I dunno, it’s not like I’ve had a bad breakup before. It was usually mutual, and we ended up being better as friends than a couple. I just didn’t see why we had to stop being friends, you know?” The shorter boy took another hit, comically puffing out his cheeks as he held his breath.

Kageyama watched him out of the corner of his eye and smiled the tiniest amount. “You just took two hits in a row.”

“Oh shit, sorry! You can go ahead and finish it if you want! I’m preeeetty high.”

“Suit yourself.” The joint was nearing the end of its life anyway, and was starting to taste Not That Great. A few moments passed in relative silence as Hinata watched Kageyama take a few long hits. Kageyama tried to disregard his roommate’s eyes on him, but the brightness of the moon made them difficult to ignore. His head felt like it was filled with a heavy, tangible fog, as though all the smoke they had been exhaling decided to gather up in his skull.

“So what about you?” Hinata finally asked after what could have been thirty seconds or thirty years. “What was _your_ longest relationship?”

“You know that at some point you need to come up with your own questions and stop shooting mine back at me.”

“Yeah, and we haven’t reached that point yet. Answer the question!”

Kageyama snorted and took another long drag. The head fog tingled the back of his skull, a weird yet encouraging sensation. If he wasn’t high he probably wouldn’t want to talk about that particular relationship. But then again it had been a long time since it had ended. “I dated this guy named Kindaichi for almost two years in high school.”

“Whaaaaat, two years? Seriously?! I’m impressed!”

Kageyama frowned slightly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared at the dirt. “Don’t be. It might’ve been the longest relationship but it wasn’t the best. It was…pretty bad, actually.” Another drag. “I mean, we were just bad for each other, honestly. We were both in less-than-ideal points in our lives, so I don’t think being together helped at all,” he explained, even though Hinata hadn’t asked. “We were both bad, but honestly _I_ was the worse one in that relationship. I was just…super self-centered, and just _shitty_. He ended up dumping me because he just couldn’t handle how controlling and selfish I was.” When he took another drag, the joint tasted like burnt ash and he nearly singed his fingertips. How appropriate. He flicked the joint onto the ground and crushed it with his heel before looking straight up and out into the dark. “To be honest, I don’t blame him. Like I said I was. Really bad.”

There was a lengthy pause between the two of them. Kageyama very purposefully kept his gaze forward and away from Hinata. He studied the silhouettes of some nearby trees, the moonlight casting patterns on their bark as it filtered through the leaves. From beside him, Kageyama heard Hinata’s voice quietly say, “I don’t think you’re really bad, Kageyama.”

The corners of his lips pulled back in a tight semi-smile. He even laughed a little at the sheer _sincerity_ in Hinata’s voice. “Thanks, man. I think I’ve gotten better since then. I need to keep working on getting better though.”

Another pause settled between the two of this, but this one was shorter than the previous one. Once again, Hinata broke the silence. “Hey, Kageyama?”

The dark-haired boy turned his head a little towards his roommate. “Hm?”

During the half-second where Hinata leaned up and pressed his lips against Kageyama’s, all other thoughts flew right out of his head. He didn’t even have enough time to be confused; he was too busy mentally noting how soft and gentle Hinata’s lips were, and how a pool of warmth flared up in the pit of his stomach, and how it felt as though all the breath had suddenly been knocked out of his lungs. He didn’t mind it.

And just like that it was over, Hinata already pulling away with a sheepish expression. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t—”

“No, wait.” Both of Kageyama’s hands reached up and settled on the back of Hinata’s head, pulling him back in. Kageyama screwed his eyes tightly shut as he kissed him, less careful than the redhead had been. Hinata didn’t seem to mind, because he released a muffled laugh against Kageyama’s mouth and flung his arms around the taller boy’s shoulders. It was an unfamiliar feeling as the corners of Hinata’s lips lifted in a smile while he kissed him. Unfamiliar, but not bad. This was kinda nice.

…Really nice, actually. The fog in his head seemed to move out of his skull and settle throughout the rest of his body, making Kageyama feel paradoxically heavy and featherlight at the same time. He was thankful for the cool night air, a saving grace for his burning hot face and neck and everything. Kageyama was pretty sure that if it was a few degrees warmer, he would spontaneously burst into flames. Every tiny shift of Hinata’s body registered Kageyama’s nerves, the sensation running across his skin and up his spine, peppering him in goosebumps despite it being midsummer. The hands that had been supporting the back of Hinata’s head relaxed, fingers threading into tangled orange hair and tugging ever so slightly.

Hinata released a loud sigh of contentment against Kageyama’s mouth, leaning up and into Kageyama until he was practically straddling the other’s lap. Kageyama’s already rapidly beating heart went into triple-time as the warmth in his gut grew hotter and more difficult to ignore. One of Hinata’s hands, resting on Kageyama’s shoulder, slipped past the latter’s shirt neckline, fingertips tracing the top of Kageyama’s spine. Kageyama shivered once, a quiet strangled noise dying in his throat as Hinata’s short nails just barely grazed against his skin. The combination of the weed and Hinata’s kisses prevented Kageyama’s brain from realizing that he was making out with his roommate in the middle of a dark dog park. It was too busy registering the fact that Hinata was surprisingly a really good kisser and that this felt _really_ nice. He didn't want to stop. Kageyama tightened his grip on Hinata’s hair, trying to mentally ground himself, but then Hinata released another sigh that sounded more like a moan and Kageyama’s higher mental functions officially turned off.

He didn’t notice the distant barking or how it grew louder and louder until a large creature barreled into Hinata, knocking the two of them off the bench and into the dirt.

“Jesus, what the hell just…” Kageyama sat up in the dirt, rubbing the back of his head where it bounced against the ground. Hinata’s body was currently covered by some large, furry mass that appeared to be mauling the smaller boy’s face. A wave of shock and horror washed over Kageyama, but before he could react he realized that Hinata was _laughing_. In the muted moonlight, he could see that the creature was not a midnight werewolf but in fact just a large German Shepherd dog, covering Hinata’s face in slobbery kisses as her tail swished back and forth in pure joy. Hinata giggled from underneath his captor and ran his hands all over the dog’s fur as Kageyama stared at them, dumbfounded.

“Kaaaaate!! Don’t go running off like that!” a vaguely familiar voice called out from not too far behind. Sure enough, emerging from the darkness was not an axe murderer preying on young stoners, but their third floor neighbor. Even in the dark, Kageyama could make out the look of surprise and pure embarrassment on Azumane’s face as he ran towards them. “Oh my god, I am SO sorry! I thought she was chasing after a raccoon or something! Bad girl, come here!”

With a low whine, the German Shepherd finally released Hinata, trotting to her owner with a big unapologetic smile. Azumane frowned as he hooked the leash back on her collar, but Kageyama didn’t miss the little head pat Kate received. Once his dog was secure, Azumane huffed an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through his hair, pulling some strands out of his messy bun. “I’m really sorry about that, folks. She’s harmless, I swear, she just—oh hey, it’s you guys!”

Shit. He recognized them.

“Uh, hey,” Kageyama offered lamely from the ground, half-raising a hand in a pathetic wave hello.

“Hi again!” Hinata chirped happily, jumping up to his feet with a big, strained grin. “Good to see you…again! You guys, uh, you guys having fun on your walk?”

Azumane seemed to relax now that he knew he was speaking to people who weren’t going to sue him for being attacked by a “vicious animal” or some bullshit, but the smile on his face still held a touch of nervousness. Or maybe that was just his default emotional state. God, Kageyama was way too high for this interaction. “Oh yeah, we’re good,” Azumane replied. “I just got home from work about ten minutes ago, so Kate’s been itching to get outside all day. What about you two? It’s pretty late to be out right now.”

Hinata instantly replied, “We’re, um, stargazing!” at the exact same time Kageyama said, “We’re also on a walk.” The smile on Azumane’s face didn’t disappear, but it did falter as he glanced between his two neighbors in mild confusion.

Shit shit shit.

“Ah, well, I hope you guys are enjoying your…stargazing walk. Again, I’m really sorry about Kate. She’s starting her Good Canine Citizen training next week, so hopefully next time we meet she won’t body slam you again.”

“It’s really no worry!” Hinata’s voice cracked halfway through his sentence. “She’s a sweetie, I totally don’t mind being body slammed by big sweet dogs! Haha! Um…hahaha! We need to get going right now but it was super good to see you and your dog again okay bye!” Without another word, Hinata turned on his heel and began speed walking in the direction of their apartment building.

Kageyama quickly picked himself up off the ground, brushing the dirt off his pants. “Sorry,” he mumbled in Azumane’s general direction, because he was far too embarrassed to actually look the man in the face. “Have a good night,” he added, jogging after Hinata and leaving both man and dog bewildered behind him.

+++

The walk home was spent in complete silence. Hinata and Kageyama walked side by side with a good two feet of distance between them. Neither boy looked at the other, choosing instead to stare straight ahead or to keep their eyes on the ground. Once they got home, the heavy silence persisted as they prepared for bed and retired to their respective bedrooms. Kageyama wanted to blame the weed for their lack of conversation, wanted to convince himself that they were just too high to talk, but even in his altered state of mind he knew that wasn’t the case.

They didn’t talk about the kiss at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my friend Ezra for beta reading!
> 
> We're nearing the end of Highkyuu!! Still a few more chapters to go, but I appreciate all of the support, views, kudos, comments, and bookmarks! I'm so very grateful to all my patient readers for putting up with my few and far between updates. I hope this was worth the wait! Thank you all so much for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't do drugs, kids (unless you're over 21 in a state where weed is legalized).


End file.
